$40,000 worth of gear stolen from Wounded Warriors

TINICUM TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- Police are looking for those who stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment from war heroes.

The theft happened near the Philadelphia International Airport. The gear was in a U-Haul truck parked at the Renaissance Hotel in Tinicum Township, Delaware County.

The stolen items include nine high-end bicycles

Jessica Mitchell and others with the Wounded Warriors Project were prepping for their annual soldier ride event last Friday when they were dealt an unexpected and costly blow.

"This was extremely damaging both financially and emotionally. These items... basically are items that help make our warriors feel comfortable," Mitchell said.

Among the stolen goods were three recumbent bikes, three road bikes, and three hybrid bikes.

"I think it was a lot of shock and awe. We use so much of this equipment to support the Warriors over the course of these three days. All of these elements come together to help the Warriors feel comfortable and make them feel like they can re-engage in the community," said Mitchell.

Tinicum Township police are working the case.

"What we've done in Tinicum is we've reached out to all the local bike shops - and we are still currently doing that in all of the Delaware Valley area - to try and intercept any of these parts, if some are high value that are trying to be sold back," said Chief Stephen Edmiston.

But the truth is tracking down the person or people responsible is going to be tough.

"That's a felony theft so it's very serious. The likelihood of catching someone with this material is probably not very likely right now, but we can probably - through an investigation - find out who these individuals were if they are trying to sell these parts," said Edmiston.

There is no surveillance video of the theft.

Police are asking the public to keep an eye out for a U-Haul truck with the Wounded Warrior logo.

If you'd like to help, you can donate to the organization at WoundedWarriorProject.org.