A boy who ripped off the grieving son of drowned Greymouth fisherman Nicholas Eklund and went on a spending spree at The Warehouse has been caught by police.
The teenage thief stole the $100 giftcard given to Cameron Eklund by the Runanga Volunteer Fire Brigade as a sympathy gift, and went shopping before Cameron noticed it was missing. He spent all but $20 of the money.
A Greymouth police spokesman said a 13-year-old boy and his parents had been spoken to about the theft, and the family intended to reimburse Cameron. The boy will be dealt with by the police youth aid section.
On a brighter note, Cameron has been inundated with offers from local businesses, including The Warehouse, to replace the stolen card.
His mother Sherie said her son was "overwhelmed'' with the support and offers to replace the giftcard.
