EXCLUSIVE: San Francisco police help teen with brain tumor after auto theft

ByVic Lee

Thursday, April 21, 2016

EXCLUSIVE: SF police help teen with brain tumor after auto theft

There's been an outpouring of support for the Ahuna family. They traveled here from Hawaii so their son could have brain surgery. But then, while visiting SF's Fisherman's Wharf, someone broke into their car and stole belongings. It's a story you'll see only on ABC7 News.

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- On Tuesday night you met the Ahuna family from Hawaii. They're here waiting for their son to have surgery for a brain tumor. While they visited Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, someone broke into their car and stole their belongings, including some of their son's medical records. Now there's an outpouring of help for the family. It's a story you'll see only on ABC7 News.

The Ahuna family went to the offices of the San Francisco Police Officers Association on Wednesday where they were given hats, pens, and other police souvenirs.

"Last night we were made aware through Channel 7 of this family from Hawaii being victimized," said Val Kirwan with the SFPOA.

Fourteen-year-old Kaikea Ahuna, his parents, and two brothers came to San Francisco from their home on Kauai. The teen will have surgery at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford next week to remove a brain tumor.

On Friday, they played tourist at Fisherman's Wharf near Pier 39. Thieves broke into their car and took their bags. Most important to Kaikea's mother Kanoe Ahuna were the get-well cards from family and friends.

"I was really saving them for him to read to him while he was in the hospital during recovery," she said. "And those are the kinds of things that can't be replaced."

The most expensive items stolen were Kaikea's brother's laptop and camera.

Sixteen-year-old Kilikai is a budding photographer. The POA offered to replace his stolen items. So on Wednesday, they went shopping at Best Buy. Kilikai got a new laptop and he got a new camera.

Vic: "Is this what you want?"

Kilikai: "Yeah, this is exactly what I had."

"In 2015, we saw a 46 percent increase in auto boostings in the central area, central district of San Francisco," said Troy Campbell with the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District.

That includes Fisherman's Wharf.

Merchants there have been trying to get the word out to tourists to stop leaving valuables in their cars. Their campaign includes "Park Smart" stickers, which are posted around the area. Better yet, they now want to stick those warnings on parking meters.

If you'd like to donate and help the Ahuna family, click here.