American runs away with $17,000 prosthetic leg

The man visited Spectrum Prosthetics and Orthotics to be fitted for the prosthetic leg and was allowed to take it for a couple hours to ensure that the fit was proper. But the man didn't come back, Sgt. David Murillo said.

Todd Schweizer, one of the owners of the company, said employees had been working with the man for about a week.

"We were trying to meet his needs," Schweizer said.

No one answered the door at an address left by the man, and calls to a cell phone number also were not answered, Detective Robert Lewis said. Company employees waited several days to report the theft because they may have believed he was coming back, Lewis said was quoted by the AP as saying.