Thieves ruin Giovanni’s weekend of spending

Giovanni Taurima looks through the window where thieves stole his wallet and birthday money.

A child has been left in tears after his birthday money was stolen during an overnight car break-in in Napier.

Melita Martin, mother of 7-yearold Giovanni Taurima, had a window of her car smashed and belongings stolen outside her Onekawa home yesterday morning.

Martin said her son was distraught to find his birthday money taken.

“I woke up to get the paper out of the mailbox and discovered the back window had been smashed.

“They’d taken all the coins for parking meters and my 7-year-old son’s wallet.

“He was bawling his eyes out this morning when we told him.

“There was about $50 in it. He was saving it for this weekend to spend it and have fun, and now he can’t.”

Giovanni, who had a birthday last month, was born with hormone deficiencies and had brain surgery at two.

Martin said her “miracle child” had been dealt a tough hand so far in life and was lucky to be alive.

“My special little boy was an IVF child, had growth hormone injections and was rushed to Starship hospital when he was two because he had fluid on the brain.

“He’s had a very hard start. For what he has lived through in his short life already, he’s my superhero.”

The proud mother said she was hoping police may be a little more hands-on in their response.

“I phoned police and they said someone will be in touch and they will decide if it’s worth them coming out,” she said.

“They obviously touched things inside the car, so you’d think the least they would do is fingerprint it.”

Police said they were notified via their crime reporting line about 7.10am yesterday that items had been stolen out of a car. Inquiries were continuing.

— Hawke’s Bay Today