TOLEDO, Ohio — A stolen car that was crashed into a home at Miami and 2nd streets in east Toledo has led to forgiveness for two teenagers and a hope to help bring change to their future.
The car's owner, EleSondra "Ele" DeRomano, said she wants to help the suspects instead of throwing the book at them.
DeRomano is originally from Detroit, Michigan. She's lived on Toledo's east side for more than 25 years.
"The east side is a part of my life," DeRomano said. "The people on it, the people in it, and I represent the east side."
That passion for her community is why she's not ready to vilify the teens who stole her car on Memorial Day while she was preparing to enjoy the day with her family.
"I'm going to be on the side of the fence where I'm trying to save these kids. Yeah, I'm mad about my car, but like I said, it's just a car," DeRomano said. "If he would have died by a stupid mistake, then what good are we humans that we can't forgive? In the Bible, it says forgive."
She said she went to the house and saw the teen who took her car for an alleged joyride. What she noticed is that her airbags did not deploy at the time of the crash, and that shook her.
DeRomano said she feels for kids like him today, because she remembers her own past.
A former gang member herself, she admitted that she was locked up at age 13 for five and a half years. Now a grown woman, she's turned her life around and intends to help those who were misguided, just like she was years ago.
"I was one of these kids," DeRomano said. "So I try to talk to these kids and tell these kids that you can make a difference and you can change."
It's compassion, that genuine emotion, that new neighbor Terry Carroll has come to expect from DeRomano.
"She's a pretty nice person," Carroll said. "My first day over here she was like 'yeah, if you need anything let me know.'"
On Memorial Day, DeRomano said she was bustling around her home trying to get ready to have company over. She said she was moving cars off her driveway, and without thinking, accidentally left keys in one of them.
She said she did see a kid riding by on his bicycle, which isn't out of the norm in a neighborhood with plenty of kids.
It was her son who noticed something was off.
"He said, 'Why is this bike in the front yard?' I'm like, 'I don't know. Leave me alone! I'm seasoning meat.' Then, he came back in," DeRomano said. "He said, 'Well, do you know why your car ain't there?' I'm like, 'What?' We came out and my car was gone."
Carroll said the thieves need to be made an example out of.
"If a judge doesn't put them in their place now. Who's going to?" Carroll said. "The next person's going to think twice."
Even so, DeRomano stands strong in her support for the teenage thieves.
"I will be in court with them and I will try to get them help, instead of trying to lock these kids down," DeRomano said.
She said her car loss is being taken care of thanks to insurance, so she isn't looking for donations or support for her car.
However, if anyone is looking to offer support for her cause, Ele said a donation to her community outreach program, S.T.A.R.S. Standing Together Against Real Slavery, would be appreciated.
If you'd like to donate, follow this link.