Philadelphia's Love Park Portal vandalized; 4 suspects sought for stealing copper wire

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are searching for four suspects who they say vandalized the Love Park Portal in Center City Philadelphia.

Surveillance video shows the suspects after one of them cut a section of copper wire from the portal machine just after 5:30 a.m. on February 1.

They then allegedly stuffed the wire in a large green and yellow trash can, and got on a train.

The portal has been covered by a tarp for more than a month, with a sign saying its down for maintenance.

The vandalism happened just 102 days after the Portal, connecting us to Lithuania, Poland and Ireland, opened to fanfare.

We heard from disappointed people who wanted to peer through to the other side.

"I was here for the parade for the Eagles and I was looking for it. So I'm kind of upset about it," said Katherine Dimmick from Schuylkill County.

"I think it's really disappointing," said Claire Wiley of Center City. "It's really too bad that someone decided to do that."

People walking through Love Park stopped to look at the closed exhibit, wondering why it's been covered for so long.

"That's terrible. It's such a great concept," said Molly Harzenski of Newark, Delaware. "We need more connection, this type of connection. It's a real shame."

The company that runs the portal said it will be moved back to its original spot on Thursday and they are upgrading security, which will include protecting the wires.

Something people were glad to hear, because they're ready to show off the city once again.

"It's something nice in the city that people can appreciate and it's taken away," said Janae Benedick of Lancaster County.