SUFFOLK, Va., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Hard-hearted thieves stole $1,000 worth of toys from a Marine Corps Toys for Tots collection, Suffolk, Va., officials said.
Debbie George, a spokeswoman for the city, said the items taken included six bicycles and 20 MP3 players, 20 digital cameras and 20 watch and wallet sets, The Newport News Daily Press reported. Police found no signs of forced entry to the building where the toys were stored.
John Woleben, chairman of the city's Toys for Tots program, said that with the economic downturn the number of families applying to the program is up 25 percent.
"It saddens me to know that someone would steal from needy children," Woleben said. "I hope the community will reach out with even greater generosity to help us recover from this."
The theft occurred sometime between Nov. 28 and Dec. 1, when a Salvation Army volunteer noticed that toys were missing, the newspaper said.
