Urgent appeal to find van stolen from terminally ill boy in Hackney

Sam CorbishleyPublished Mar 28, 2024, 5:33pm|Updated Mar 28, 2024, 6:51pm

Heartless thieves have stolen a van that was specially modified to transport a terminally-ill 13-year-old boy.

Scotland Yard has issued an urgent appeal to help find the gray Ford Transit Custom after it was broken into in Hackney, east London, and driven off on Tuesday, March 26.

It had been converted by the family of Elijah Cariazo, who described it as his ‘lifeline’.

His mum Onessa said: ‘I am appealing to everyone to keep an eye out for Elijah’s lifeline, this is not just a vehicle, it is our road to freedom. Without it, our poor boy cannot see in his final days. Every day is an extension, and we thank God.

‘This vehicle cannot be easily replaced and it is his 14th birthday in a few short days.

‘We had hoped to take him away with his medical team to enjoy the surroundings of the countryside which he loves so much.

‘If you see a vehicle of this color parked up unattended or don’t recognize it, please report it to the police, it may be nothing, but we need everyone to keep their eyes peeled and thank them in advance, this means so much to our family.’

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Elijah was born with a rare muscular condition called myotubular myopathy which makes it difficult for him to breathe and swallow.

He survives with the help of bulky medical equipment that has required the family to use a specially modified van which took nine months to fully customize.

It is used to take him to the hospital for appointments and cannot be easily replaced.

The Cariazo family was due to go on holiday for the Easter weekend following a deterioration in Elijah’s condition, however when they woke up on Tuesday the van was gone.

CCTV has captured footage of two men breaking into the car outside their house on Loanda Close, before turning left onto Clarissa Street and left again onto Lee Street towards the A10 Kingsland Road.

The suspects are two men, approximately 5 foot 10 and slim build. They were seen wearing black tracksuits and one was wearing a rucksack.

The van has one missing hubcap on the rear right-hand side and has a distinctive sticker for the wheelchair ramp on the back doors.

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