Can you help? Businessman pleads for return of laptop

Williamston – For nearly 20 years, Todd Walter dreamed of opening an assisted living home that would change the model of elder care.

He envisioned a place where the residents made the decisions -- about what to eat and when, about how they wanted to spend their time and with whom. A place, he said, that actually felt like home.

He finally realized his dream in 2012 when he opened Crosaires, an assisted-living home on 10 acres of land on Zimmer Road where six residents now live.

But, on Monday, when sitting at the bedside of one of his residents who had to go to the emergency room, someone stole the bag containing Walter's laptop from his car in the Sparrow Hospital parking lot.

It was his business laptop, the one with everything on it that he needs to run his assisted-living facility, no patient medical records, but everything else that matters.

"I feel stripped," Walter said. "I had to close all of my bank accounts."

Walter reported the theft to the Lansing Police Department and to Sparrow's security department. Sparrow said it is investigating.

"We do have regular security patrols and guards in the area," said Lori Dougovito of Sparrow media relations. "The health, safety and security of our patients and families is of utmost concern to us."

But here's the deal. Walter doesn't care who did it or why. He just wants his computer back. No questions asked.

Even if the laptop is gone, he at least hopes the person will return the flash drive that was in the laptop bag.

"The reason why that person stole it was because they obviously needed something," Walter said. "I don't care who you are. But I want you to know what you did by taking it... This laptop, whoever stole it, God forgive them. They have no understanding of what they have."

Can you help?

Todd Walter's black Dell laptop was stolen from his 2007 burgundy Ford Fusion sometime between noon and 11 p.m. Monday in the emergency room parking lot of the Sparrow Hospital ramp on Michigan Avenue. The laptop was inside a black briefcase alongside a Detroit Tigers mousepad.

The granddaughter of one of the Crosaires residents has set up an email address where anyone with information can send anonymous tips.

If you know anything about the location of the computer, send an email to findtoddslaptop@yahoo.com

Need Help?

"Can you help?" is a regular feature by Columnist Louise Knott Ahern about readers in need. Send ideas for future columns to lkahern@lsj.com