An Auckland girl with autism has been reunited with her treasured bike after it was stolen by thieves in Auckland.
In a video shared by police on Facebook, Livvy's mum Bec Wood said it felt "absolutely terrible" when she realised her children's bikes had been taken from their shed.
"I remember coming inside, getting on the phone to police and just crying because it was like, 'Why would you do that to someone?'
"I have an autistic daughter and for her it was shocking to know that her bike had been stolen, that someone had taken it, and it's just not on."
Wood took to Facebook to appeal for sightings of the two missing bicycles.
"An eagle-eyed lady who'll know who she is actually saw a bike meeting the description in Papatoetoe."
The woman captured photos and video of the bike being ridden by a man, with what appears to be a young child in the basket.
"I just had a gut instant feeling to know that this was Livvy's bike," Wood said.
Constable William Latu, of the Ōtāhuhu tactical crime unit, said police undertook a search warrant in Auckland's Māngere, where they located the red, vintage looking bike, along with Livvy's brother's yellow bicycle.
"We found them," Latu said, reuniting the bike's with their owners.
"My bike!" Livvy screamed.
"Oh my goodness," Wood said, tearfully. "I can't believe it. I didn't think we were going to get them back.
"Out of all the things that had gone missing it was my kids' bikes that I really wanted to get back because I knew that they meant so much to them."
Latu said returning the loved bikes was "priceless".
"It's rewarding, you know, proud to be a police officer and do what I do, make a difference."
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