BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A thief or thieves broke into a storage unit in Burlington, Mass., and stole up to $15,000 worth of Christmas presents intended for needy children, police said.
The donated presents were to be given to as many as 800 families by the U.S. Marine Corps and the state police Toys for Tots drive, the Boston Herald reported.
"I think anytime you prey on somebody who's needy, you can't get much lower," said Marine veteran Art Enos, who discovered the break-in Saturday. "When you're taking from people who have nothing to begin with, that's pretty bad."
Investigators said the thief or thieves picked through the storage container early Saturday and took about 1,500 of the most expensive toys, valued from $15 to $30 each.
The Toys for Tots deadline was Friday but officials said they are doing all they can to replace the new toys and make sure hard-luck kids still have a Christmas.
"You can continue to drop off toys at any state police barracks,'' said state police spokesman David Procopio.
Procopio said investigators werel processing the scene of the theft for evidence.
"The person or persons who did this would have to have the blackest of hearts to do this to these families," Procopio said.
The Boston Globe said the theft comes near the end of a challenging year for the charity, which had a significant drop in donations and a sizeable increase in requests for gifts.
