HAZEL GREEN, Alabama – Dewey Tate, the slight carpenter whose left side is mostly paralyzed and who makes his living nailing birdhouses together to sell in front of Ace Hardware on U.S. 431/231 north of Hazel Green, Ala., won't be sitting on his truck's tailgate by his work shed today. His red '94 Dodge Dakota was stolen Monday night, Sept. 15, 2014 – along with all of his tools, his two guitars, an amplifier, his little daughter's keyboard, his daughter's car seat, and his daughter's school pictures.

"My life was in that truck -- that's how I make my living," Tate said. "And he just left me out in the middle of nowhere – and me crippled. I had to walk two miles to try to flag someone down to get some help."

Ardmore Police, Madison County deputies and Tennessee deputies are searching for the suspect, described as a burly white man, about 6 feet tall, short blond hair, blond mustache, probably 200 pounds, late 40s, who told Tate his name is "Anthony." Police say "Anthony's" real name is suspected to be Mark Lard, who is wanted on other charges in both Alabama and Tennessee. He's been seen in the Hazel Green area this morning (Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014).

Anyone seeing a man matching that description -- especially if he's driving a '94 red Dakota with a dent in the tail gate, the driver's side tail light out, one central windshield wiper Tate rigged up, and a "Go Fish" FM 95 bumper sticker on the rear window of the truck – please call authorities.

Dewey Tate has been a regular call-in voice on Rocket 95.1-FM's "Fish in the Morning" show.

In this file photo from December 2013, Dewey Tate fits together pieces of one of his birdhouses at his stand in front of the Hazel Green Ace Hardware store alongside U.S. 431/231. Tate sells the birdhouses to augment his disability. He was paralyzed on his left side in a car accident when he was 9. On Monday night, Sept. 15, 2014, someone he was giving a ride to left him stranded on the side of a country road and took off with Tate's 20-year-old red Dodge Dakota truck with all his tools in the back. (Kay Campbell/KCampbell@AL.com)

Dewey's story

While Tate was working Monday, "Anthony" came up to him, looking scruffy and told him his house had burned down and that he had nothing.

"I felt sorry for him," Tate said. "I thought he'd lost everything."

In fact, if "Anthony" is Mark Lard, as is suspected, he'd spent the night on the run after fleeing on foot Sunday night from Billie's Sports Bar in Hazel Green when Madison County deputies attempted to arrest him on other charges.

What is certain is that Tate knows "Anthony" from hearing him play in the band at Billie's Sports Bar just up the road toward Hazel Green. Tate had bought a black acoustic guitar from him for $30 about three days ago. So, sure: "Anthony" could walk over to Tate's mobile home, about a half-mile away, and take a shower, Tate told him.

When Tate arrived home after work, "Anthony" told him he'd give him $50 to go play a gig with him in Ardmore. Tate has played with other musicians, including Randy Waller – so, sure. They put Tate's white Kramer electric guitar (worth about $200), Tate's black amplifier ($100), and his little girl's keyboard into the back of the truck. But when "Anthony" was directing Tate to where the alleged bar is, Tate suggested "Anthony" drive since he knew where it was.

"Anthony" drove a few miles northwest of Ardmore and onto Gowan Road, which leads to the Dog Days Flea Market.

"It was in the middle of nowhere," Tate said. "I didn't know where I was."

At about 7 p.m., "Anthony" claimed the truck had a flat – that the tire was coming off the rim. He pulled to the side of the road. Tate got out to check – and "Anthony" took off, spinning the tires, leaving Tate on the side of the road with a cell phone that had no more minutes on it.

Tate hitched his paralyzed leg along the dark road for a couple miles before he came to the highway.

"No one would stop to help," Tate said. "I had to go out into the middle of the road to flag someone down."

The retired police officer who stopped helped him get in touch with police, and his mother drove over from Hazel Green to pick him up. His wife didn't come because she left Tate five weeks ago, taking their daughter, and moving to Pulaski to be with a man she met on Facebook.

"Now I ain't got nothing," Tate said. "Just a roof over my head. I guess I need to quit being so kind-hearted, trying to help people."