DETROIT – He saved and saved to buy a blue 2004 Ford F-150 Heritage pickup truck.
The truck had more than 280,000 miles on it, but 71-year-old Robert didn’t care.
“It was my dream, that was my lifesaver, that was my mobility. It was all I had,” Robert said.
Robert asked not to be identified because he’s concerned his attacker will return.
He has been stuck in a scooter for about three years, one of his hips no longer functions. He has been home bound and reliant on friends and neighbors to do basic things like get to the store.
He saved up enough money after three years to buy the pickup. Standing on his one good leg he was able to maneuver into the truck and put his walker in the back.
He bought the truck on July 17. On Aug. 7 he was driving home and was at the intersection of Charlevoix and Bewick when a gunman came up to his window and shoved a .45 in his face. The gunman told him to get out.
Robert was complying with the order, but moved slow.
“He grabbed me by the hair, snatched me out of the truck and threw me out on the ground,” Robert said.
Robert was kicked and punched so bad he required a two day stay in a hospital.
The Detroit Police Department is working the case and some kind neighbors are trying to help out, but he doesn’t have money for a new truck.
Click here to view the GoFundMe account that has been set up for Robert
READ: Local crime reports