Community aids cancer survivor after Milwaukee car theft
RIGHT NOW? TOMORROW ON 12 NEWS AT SIX. CAR THIEVES TARGET A CANCER SURVIVOR TAKING HER SUV AND THREATENING HER BUSINESS. IN A 12 NEWS EXCLUSIVE, DUKE CARTER REPORTS ON THE COMMUNITY RALLYING AROUND HER AND THE SURPRISE FIND, GIVING THIS STORY A HAPPY ENDING. I’M RADIO IN MY VEHICLE IS I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S OUT OF STATE. I DON’T KNOW IF THEY CHOPPED IT UP IN HARTFORD, WE FIRST MET SINUS CANCER SURVIVOR CASSANDRA MCGARRY IN OCTOBER. HER LIVELIHOOD ON THE LINE AFTER SOMEONE STOLE HER SUV AT AN EVENT AT CATHEDRAL SQUARE. I WENT FOR MY KEYS FROM MY BOX. I COULDN’T FIND THEM, AND I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED. MAYBE I LEFT THEM IN MY CAR. MCGARRY HAD BEEN SELLING HER HOMEMADE GOODS WHEN SHE SAYS A WOMAN DISTRACTED HER AND A MAN GOT HER KEYS AND HER CAR. THE THEFT LEAVING MCGARRY IN A LURCH. IS MY LIVELIHOOD. I HAVE A SIDE BUSINESS CALLED CASSANDRA’S HOMEMADE GOODS, AND THAT’S WHAT I USE TO TRANSPORT ALL MY HEAVY GEAR AND MY JARS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE FELLOW VENDORS AT THE RICHFIELD FARMERS MARKET HEARD THE NEWS AND STEPPED IN, COLLECTING MONEY AND STARTING A GOFUNDME TO HELP MCGARRY GET ANOTHER CAR. WELL GET THIS, IT TURNS OUT SHE DOESN’T NEED ONE. IT’S REALLY COOL. I MISSED IT. THAT’S. THAT’S MY BABY. MILWAUKEE POLICE TELL US THIS 2007 FORD EXPEDITION WAS FOUND ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST AT AROUND 1:00 IN THE MORNING NEAR 15TH. AND BEECH ARE UNOCCUPIED. AND POLICE SAY THEY’RE STILL SEARCHING FOR SUSPECTS. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET IT BACK DAMAGED AND IT’S IN PERFECT CONDITION. POLICE FOUND HER SUV AT 15TH AND BEECHER, AND NOW IT’S BACK AT GARY’S HOME IN CUDAHY. HER VEHICLE RETURNED, BUT NOT HER SENSE OF SAFETY. DON’T TRUST ANYBODY. WHICH IS SAD. YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LANYARD NOW FOR MY KEYS. AND WHEN I’M OUT IN PUBLIC, I KEEP THEM AROUND MY NECK. MCGARRY STILL SHAKEN, BUT GRATEFUL. WHAT WAS THE FIRST PLACE OR FIRST PLACE YOU TOOK YOUR VEHICLE? HONESTLY, JUST AROUND A COUPLE BLOCKS. I DIDN’T GO FAR. REPORTING IN CUDAHY, DUKE CARTER, WISN 12 NEWS, MCGARRY. THANKS TO THOSE WHO HELPED RAISE THE MONEY AND DONATED MONEY, SHE SAID THAT SHE USED THE MONEY FOR NE
Community rallies around cancer survivor after car theft in Milwaukee
After her SUV was stolen, sinus cancer survivor Cassandra McGeary received support from fellow vendors and the community, leading to the recovery of her vehicle in perfect condition.
Updated: 6:51 PM CST Nov 12, 2025
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Cassandra McGeary, a sinus cancer survivor, faced a major setback when her SUV was stolen during an event at Cathedral Square, threatening her business and livelihood. “I have no idea where my vehicle is; I don’t know if it’s out of state or chopped up for parts,” McGeary said.She explained that she was distracted by a woman while a man swiped her keys and her car. “I went for my keys, for my box. I couldn’t find them and I turned around, and maybe I thought I left them in my car,” she said.The theft left McGeary in a difficult position, as her SUV was essential for her business operations. “It’s my livelihood. I have a side business going on, called Cassandra’s Homemade Goods, and that’s what I used to transport all my heavy gear and jars,” she said.Upon hearing the news, fellow vendors at the Richfield Farmer’s Market rallied to support McGeary, collecting money and starting a GoFundMe campaign to help her purchase another vehicle. However, McGeary’s SUV was found before she needed to buy a new one. “It felt like home. I missed it. That’s, that’s my baby,” she said.Milwaukee police discovered her 2007 Ford Expedition unoccupied at 15th and Becher streets around 1 a.m. Nov. 1. They are still searching for the people who stole it. “I thought I was going to get it back damaged, and it’s in perfect condition,” McGeary said.While her vehicle has been returned to her home in Cudahy, McGeary’s sense of security remains shaken. “I don’t trust anyone, which is sad. I now have a lanyard for keys now, and when I’m out in public, I keep them around my neck,” she said.Despite the ordeal, McGeary expressed gratitude for the community’s support. When asked about the first place she took her vehicle after its return, she said, “Honestly, just to run a couple blocks. I didn’t go far.” McGeary thanked those who helped raise and donate money, which she used to pay for new locks on the SUV and her insurance.Top HeadlinesTeen serial rapist sentenced to 35 years behind bars for ‘monstrous conduct”They’re ruining our lives’: Gold bar scam sweeping WisconsinWhat are northern lights? Here’s what to know about aurorasWATCH Obama surprises Wisconsin veterans on Honor Flight to Washington
Cassandra McGeary, a sinus cancer survivor, faced a major setback when her SUV was stolen during an event at Cathedral Square, threatening her business and livelihood.
“I have no idea where my vehicle is; I don’t know if it’s out of state or chopped up for parts,” McGeary said.
She explained that she was distracted by a woman while a man swiped her keys and her car.
“I went for my keys, for my box. I couldn’t find them and I turned around, and maybe I thought I left them in my car,” she said.
The theft left McGeary in a difficult position, as her SUV was essential for her business operations.
“It’s my livelihood. I have a side business going on, called Cassandra’s Homemade Goods, and that’s what I used to transport all my heavy gear and jars,” she said.
Upon hearing the news, fellow vendors at the Richfield Farmer’s Market rallied to support McGeary, collecting money and starting a GoFundMe campaign to help her purchase another vehicle.
However, McGeary’s SUV was found before she needed to buy a new one.
“It felt like home. I missed it. That’s, that’s my baby,” she said.
Milwaukee police discovered her 2007 Ford Expedition unoccupied at 15th and Becher streets around 1 a.m. Nov. 1. They are still searching for the people who stole it.
“I thought I was going to get it back damaged, and it’s in perfect condition,” McGeary said.
While her vehicle has been returned to her home in Cudahy, McGeary’s sense of security remains shaken.
“I don’t trust anyone, which is sad. I now have a lanyard for keys now, and when I’m out in public, I keep them around my neck,” she said.
Despite the ordeal, McGeary expressed gratitude for the community’s support. When asked about the first place she took her vehicle after its return, she said, “Honestly, just to run a couple blocks. I didn’t go far.”
McGeary thanked those who helped raise and donate money, which she used to pay for new locks on the SUV and her insurance.
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