Police in Somerset County are trying to track down the people responsible for stealing equipment from a Habitat for Humanity work site.

According to a Franklin Township police report, someone stole a skid loader - a piece of construction equipment used to move heavy items - from the site on Churchill Avenue.

Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity were using the skid loader, among other equipment, to build several homes for low-income families.

Volunteers at the worksite say they couldn't believe someone would steal from them.

"We're all volunteers," says Dick Bedner. "We're all up there in age, and that machine makes it really convenient to pick up and load 15 to 20 tons of stone into a basement of a house."

The machine was parked at the work site overnight. The next morning it was gone. The keys were not left inside, according to the police report.

The skid loader had been donated to Habitat for Humanity's Raritan Valley chapter several years ago. A new one could cost at least $20,000. The charity is not sure if its insurance will cover the cost of a new one.

Anyone who may have any information about the crime is urged to contact that Franklin Township Police Department at 732-873-2300.