MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – When Milton High School varsity basketball player Jeffrey Cota learned he had bone cancer in his leg, his game went from the court to an Xbox 360.
That changed when the game was stolen from his home while he was undergoing surgery in Boston.
On Wednesday, police announced the arrests of three teenagers in the Jan. 21 burglary.
“I’m very happy,” said Cota, 17, who is recovering from the surgery at home.
Brendan Eary, 19, of Georgia, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to aiding in the commission of a felony and driving with a suspended license. Jordan Bristol, 18, of St. Albans, pleaded not guilty to burglary and Tyler Wimble, 17, of Essex, was to be arraigned today.
Cota said his older sister discovered the electronic device was gone when she came home from work and saw the dog was locked in a room. Police said their investigation focused on the three teenagers because Cota’s sister said they had been to the house with her friends the night before the burglary.
“This is like the sociological case point example of victimization, when you have a stronger population preying on a vulnerable, open population and exploiting them for their own good,” said Vermont State Trooper Jay Riggen.
But the 6-foot-7 center wasn’t without his toy for long. Numerous people called the school offering to donate a new one.
“When his parents broke the news about the theft, in the same breath they were able to say somebody has already donated an Xbox to you with enough money to replace all the games,” said Milton coach Chris Brown, who delivered the replacement to Cota at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Just to hang out with the guys for a few hours really helped him along,” Cota said.
The team previously raised more than $11,000 with a spaghetti dinner and silent raffle last November to help with the family’s expenses.
Since then, other support has been pouring in. Rival teams have donated money from snack bar proceeds and held fundraising dinners.
“The biggest thing is making something good out of a bad situation,” Brown said.
Cota, who would have been a starting center, was able to attend a number of games before the surgery.
He’s now getting around on crutches and expects to undergo a year of physical therapy. He’ll also get more chemotherapy treatments.
If his dedication to the sport is any indication, Cota, who earned the most valuable player award last year, will be a star patient.
“In the past year, he’s been in the gym more than anybody,” Brown said. “He just loves to be part of the team, he loves to be on the court, and we just have missed him as a player and as a friend.”
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