PORTLAND, Ore.  — Police are looking for a robot that was stolen from a Portland State University professor.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said physics professor Erik Sanchez reported the theft Monday.

He said he felt sick Sunday and mistakenly left his sport utility vehicle unlocked overnight with the robot inside outside his home in the 6000 block of S.W. 205th Ave. in Aloha.

"It weighs about 100 pounds so pulling it out wasn't an easy task, so I left it until I was feeling better," Sanchez said Monday. "This morning when I went out it was just missing."

The robot is 29 inches long, 19 inches high and about 23 inches wide. It is valued at $5,000 and was donated to Sanchez by the manufacturer, Parallax Incorporated, for use as a teaching tool in one of his classes. The robot is called the "Propeller Quadrover," and it is strong enough to pull a pickup truck.

The sheriff's office said it is following leads but asks anyone with information to call detectives at (503) 846-2500.

Sanchez told investigators he is not interested in having the suspect prosecuted and just wants the robot back.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report