10-year-old Toronto boy speaks out after curbside stand stolen

A Toronto boy is speaking out after the baked goods stand he set up on Saturday was stolen.

Some kids sell lemonade, but 10-year-old David Hove decided he would sell lemon-cranberry scones outside his Toronto home this weekend. His older sister baked them, and he sold them – his first attempt at entrepreneurship.

“I just thought of it so I could make money,” Hove told CTV NewsToronto, admitting he’s trying to save up to buy an Xbox gaming system.

On Saturday, Hove set up a table and cooler outside his house, and according to him, sales were going well.

“I got a lot of customers and most of them gave me tips.”

His sister had also given him a tip: to not leave his cashbox unattended. So when nature called, and Hove headed inside to use the washroom, he took his money with him. When he came back outside, everything else was gone.

The entire theft was caught on the Hove’s security camera.

In the video, you can see a white SUV drive past and then reverse. A man gets out of the vehicle, pops the trunk, and starts loading things inside. A table, a cooler, even Hove’s water bottle were taken.

“I thought that these people are very crazy for taking other people's stuff when they knew it was not theirs to take,” Hove said.

The Hove’s say they also don’t think the thief mistook the items for trash because he removed and left the handwritten sign advertising scones for sale.

“It pains my heart to see my kids going through this,” Hove’s father, also named David, told CTV News Toronto. “They come up with the initiative to do something hard working for themselves.. but it’s teaching them life lessons.”

In the security video, it appears the thief had kids in the car – people can be seen peeking out of the backseat window. The elder Hove hopes they too will learn a life lesson.

“When you do such things and you have your kids there what lesson are you teaching them?”

The Hove’s hope the items will be returned so that young David can set up another stand this coming weekend in the hopes of saving enough money to buy a gaming system.

“It’s not the right thing to do. Please bring back those items and if you do it to other places, take those things back as well.”