WOODLAND HILLS—A disabled woman who traveled from Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit friends for the holidays had her RV stolen sometime between December 24, 2022 and December 25.

Jill Silverthorne was spending the night at a friend’s on Christmas Eve and had her RV parked outside. She awoke to find that her RV was missing and all her belongings gone. One of the items within the RV was her electric wheelchair. She is currently relying on her walker to get around. 

Silverthorne spoke to Canyon News in an interview. The RV allowed her the freedom to see family and friends she explained. After the crime took place, both she and the friend she was staying with asked around the neighborhood to see if anyone was able to catch the crime on video. Most of the residents either had their cameras off or they weren’t working.  

She has not been able to travel back to her home since the crime occurred. 

Silverthorne had been saving for 10 years to obtain her custom RV and it took her 5 years to find it. It was designed to help her as a disabled person travel. She found the RV in Everette, Washington and it is equipped with all the necessary adaptations to the brakes and the steering wheel so she could travel. It also included a wheelchair.

Jill in her RV. Photo courtesy of Jill Silverthorne.

She found the RV online and flew to Washington to purchase it. Once she got the vehicle she traveled south across multiple states to bring it back to her home and endured a major storm while transporting the vehicle. 

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the theft and her niece started a GoFundMe to help Silverthorne during this ordeal. So far they have made $1,940 of their $100,000 goal. To donate visit the GoFundMe page.

Anyone who may have information regarding this crime is asked to contact LAPD at 818-756-4820. Police currently do not have a suspect.