BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Ethan Perez won't get to ride the scooter his parents bought him, a symbol of good things to come after his upcoming surgery to amputate his left leg.

The scooter, along with the fourth grader's iPod, the family's four laptops, jewelry and cash, were stolen from the Perez family's home Wednesday afternoon.

With his left leg locked and useless, 9-year-old Ethan Perez will be having surgery to have it removed.

Ethan suffers from arteriovenous malformation and hasn't been able to walk for about two years because of two tumors. In the face of the painful disease, Ethan and his family decided to follow his doctors' advice and have an above-the-knee amputation of his leg.

Ethan's room was one of the worst-hit areas of the home. Besides the scooter, the intruder took his iPod, video games and the remote controls to one of his game systems. The house was ransacked and dresser drawers dumped out.

Ethan's mom said the worst thing to lose was the scooter.

Bakersfield police officers took fingerprints off a neighbor's home, where screens were removed and a gate was open. She said police think there were two people because of the speed and extent of the damage.

Officials are still investigating.