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Thieves damaged Crazy Ray's car beyond repair.

NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE

He is a Dallas Cowboys icon. As the team's unofficial mascot, "Crazy Ray" Jones entertained fans for more than 40 years wearing his trademark ten-gallon hat, chaps, and star-spangled vest—and brandishing that nickel-plated pistol.

But, as you likely know, recent years have been hard on Crazy Ray and his wife, Mattie. He suffered an amputation and a stroke, two big bumps for Mattie as she nurses his health and spirit.

Then, on Thursday, another bump.

Mattie was about to visit Ray when her neighbor, Carolyn Walker, noticed something strange. "And I said: 'Mattie, where's your car?' And she said, 'It's parked outside.'"

But the car wasn't there. And gone along with it, a special power lift that hoisted Ray's scooter.

"All we could see was broken glass where someone had broke the window out," Mattie said. "I thought it was pretty cruel. Boy, we senior citizens, we catch it."

Ray and Mattie have seen recent blessings. A contractor is renovating their East Dallas home, free of charge. Until that work is done, friends have taken her in.

And then, hopeful news: The car had been found.

Mattie headed for the Police auto pound in West Dallas.

Another bump.

The thieves had wrecked the car. The Jones' carried only liability insurance.

It was a total loss.

Mattie gathered what was the thieves had neglected to take: clothing, jewelry, posters of Crazy Ray, and something else that's important to Ray: "I got the extra leg," she said. "Yes, his prosthesis."

We tried to save the lift. It was stuck.

Police, a friend of Mattie's and I all struggled for close to an hour. But once we pulled down the back, it was clear: The frame has been twisted when the thieves wrecked the car.

The lift, too, was a loss.

Mattie was philosophical; they were only material things. "Comes easy, it goes easy," she said. "You can't worry about it if you can't fix it."

For Mattie and Ray Jones, another bump. But she's confident God will provide another blessing.

E-mail cheinbaugh@wfaa.com