Atlantic City police often get reports of car burglaries.
But Friday, they got to find out the sad affect of one — and were moved to act.
An Atlantic City woman reached out to the Facebook page Scan AtlanticCity to alert people to her plight.
The mom of seven said she left her children's gifts in her locked car as she went inside her Iowa Avenue home around 3 p.m. Thursday to tend to her younger children, including a 1-, 2- and 5-year-old.
When she came back out about 2½ hours later, everything was gone.
"I know it's a slim to no chance but maybe someone will do the right thing and return my stuff," she wrote to the page, which posted the story without the woman's name.
Many saw it. Some questioned its authenticity.
But one person went into action.
Sgt. Mohammad Kaiser, a member of the city's Neighborhood Coordination Unit, reached out to the Atlantic County Toys For Kids Program, and got her some help.
"Sometimes a police report does not tell the whole story," the police wrote on their Facebook page. "Today, thanks to local Facebook page Scan AtlanticCity, we were alerted that a woman with several children reported a car burglary on the same block as the police department."
Tamara Hiraki got a knock on her door Friday, with Kaiser asking if she was the one who made the report. About a half-hour later, she said, the Toy director and other officers arrived with gifts.
"I'm so, so grateful for everything and appreciate them taking their timeout to help my family," she told BreakingAC.
While the investigation into the Grinch who tried to steal this family's Christmas continues, the police were able to return some of the holiday spirit to the heartbroken mom.
"Thankfully, we were able to assist this very happy Mom by providing presents for some deserving children," police said."Great teamwork by all involved."
