MELROSE, MA — A young Melrose resident has a brand new scooter thanks Stoneham's Tony Ventresca.

For Adie Annese and her mother, Caroline, the gift was a welcome surprise after disappointment when Adie's old scooter went missing this past weekend.

"It was the sweetest gesture," Caroline told Patch on Friday. "It was so thoughtful."

The scooter went missing back on Sunday. Adie had been riding around her Melrose neighborhood when she stopped at her home for a brief break. When she came back outside to ride again, however, she found that the scooter was not where she had left it near the sidewalk, her mother said.

Caroline said she had seen what she believed was a scrap metal business -owner driving around the area earlier in the day. Wondering if the scooter had been picked up by mistake, she took to social media to ask for help.

Caroline ended up in touch with Ventresca, who operates a part-time scrap metal business in area communities.

Living in Stoneham, Ventresca works his day job with the Everett Department of Public Works. He only picks up metal by appointment, meaning he did not inadvertently take Adie's scooter. He wanted to help, though.

Ventresca told Patch that he first reached out to junkyard contacts of his to see if they had seen a scooter come in. When the answer was "no," he and his wife opted to simply buy Adie a new scooter.

"We just thought we could help out a little girl that was devastated that her scooter was stolen," Ventresca said.

Ventresca recalled a similar experience years ago when he was growing up in Medford. He had a BMX bike stolen out of his yard when he was in elementary school, he said.

"I was broken hearted," he said. "It was my best bike."

Ventresca said he understands what might have happened in this case.

"Someone probably saw it, thought it was junk, picked it up and off they went," he said.

In the meantime, Caroline said Adie is enjoying her new pink razor scooter. Together, she and her daughter are grateful to Ventresca and still surprised by his donation.

"It was so sweet," Caroline said. "I didn't — I couldn't believe it."

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