Knoxville woman steals electric wheelchair from grocery store, police say

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A Knoxville woman was arrested Sunday after she allegedly stole an electric wheelchair from the Kroger located at 5201 Broadway Avenue. Officials with the Knoxville Police Department said that officers found Victoria Elander, 53, travelling down the street near the Citgo gas station located at 4801 Broadway Avenue.

Officers responded to the area because Elander was causing traffic issues in the wheelchair by riding on the street instead of the sidewalk. Elander refused to ride on the sidewalk when asked, the release said. When officers asked where she got the wheelchair, she reportedly told them she stole it from Kroger.

Elander told officers that she took the wheelchair because she was having trouble picking up her medicine, and also said she had “various mental and physical conditions,” according to the release.

Elander was taken into custody and management at Kroger was made aware of the stolen cart, which they later confirmed to police was from the store.