Bridgeport police are searching for the person who stole thousands of dollars' worth of Christmas presents from a parked car Saturday afternoon.

Brayner Martinez says the gifts for his 12-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son were stolen from his van, with his car window left shattered. Police say it happened in the parking lot of Bass Pro Shops. 

Martinez, a single father who recently lost his business, says this is a low point for him in his life since he worked so hard for the money to buy the gifts.

A few hours after the break-in, police say an alleged drunken driver crashed into the van in a separate and unrelated occurrence.

Martinez says his sadness is not so much over the loss of the gifts, but the opportunity to spend time with his children.

Community members have set up a fundraiser to help Martinez raise money to replace the stolen items.