Rochester family outraged after Christmas gifts for 7 kids stolen with car, 'they took everything'
Dec 16, 2024
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A Rochester mother of seven is distraught after her car was recently stolen, with all of the Christmas presents for her kids still inside.
Even more troubling, the family told News 8 that those claiming to have been responsible taunted her online when she asked the community for help. The woman's mother, Cynthia Robinson, said in the midst of all this, her daughter was preparing for a major kidney surgery this week. Robinson described the situation as "deeply painful."
"It hurt, they took everything them kids had for Christmas," Robinson said.
It happened Friday in the overnight hours on Bloomfield Place in the city. Robinson said she was helping her daughter prepare for the surgery amid her own health complications - an issue with her legs. So, she tried to lie down for a little bit before playing Santa Claus with her daughter.
When she woke up, the car, and everything inside, was gone out of the driveway.
"I can't focus on tomorrow," Robinson admitted. "I don't know what's going to happen with the car. I really don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do about Christmas. I don't know what I'm going to do about my daughter, y'all have no idea what y'all have done."
Rochester Police said it was around 1 a.m. when officers responded to the home for the report of the stolen 2021 Hyundai with "several hundred dollars worth of presents inside." It was recovered later that day around 4:30 p.m. behind a home on Durnan Street, police announced. Officers noted that the damage was consistent with the typical trend of stealing Hyundai-Kia vehicles.
Primetime 585 Board Chair Karen Iglesia said she knows the mother personally. She took to her platform on social media to draw attention to the problem, also discovering taunting between several teen accounts and the victim.
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"She posted online, everybody that gets their car stolen, they post it online saying 'if you see this car, call the police. It's my car, it was stolen,'" Iglesia said. "She put that up and for whatever reason the kids saw it - and they started posting videos and pictures of them wrecking her car. Opening the gifts, thanking her for the gifts - saying 'thank you so much for the gifts we appreciate it.' Just absolutely trolling her. It was absolutely unconscionable."
RPD said no suspect(s) is/are in custody in connection with this crime. In the meantime, the Hyundai is still at the impound lot, just among some of the mounting costs the family is now dealing with on top of the gifts.
"I pray for y'all - that y'all listen to me and understand what I'm telling y'all," Robinson began. "This is how y'all want to live? Y'all think this is cool? But y'all got a chance, I hope y'all taking it."
Primetime 585 is collecting donations - already with plenty of people and businesses reaching out for ways to help.
For those looking to help, items can be mailed to Primetime585 P.O. Box 632 Penfield, NY 14526. Venmo cash can be sent to PT585. Online donations can be sent here, just type in the memo "gifts."