A bike reported stolen from the Lehighton area was a brand-new birthday gift given to a teenage boy who has autism, according to his parents.

Joe McKinnon said that his son Joseph picked out the bike just last Sunday as a gift for his upcoming 15th birthday.The elder McKinnon said that his son picked out the NEXT Gauntlet bike because it was a mountain bike, and matched a novelty license plate they got for it.“He liked the colors, it was black with green,” McKinnon said. “He figured it would match the license plate, which said ‘2 fast 4 u.’ “Tuesday night, the boy put the bike in the family’s garage in the Jamestown section of Mahoning Township. But he left the garage door open and the lights on. The next morning it was gone.McKinnon said since then he’s been asking constantly about the bike. They’ve driven around the area, but had no luck.“It’s tough with an autistic child,” McKinnon said. “It’s tougher for them separation wise. It’s very traumatic, very tough for them to absorb.”Joe said that his son loves riding his bike on the D & L Trail.The NEXT Gauntlet bike is black with green trim, has 24-inch wheels, LED lights on the handle bars, and a novelty New Hampshire License plate which reads “2 fast 4 u.”If anyone sees the bike, they’re asked to call McKinnon at 609-317-0373, or Mahoning Township Police. McKinnon said that he does not plan to press charges, and just wants to see the bike returned.