OVIEDO, Fla. – An Oviedo Boy Scout troop is hoping to get results and get their trailer back after someone stole it from a church parking lot this week.
"We had just bought new stoves, new pots, new pans," Alec Alonso with Boy Scout Troop 608 said.
Alec and his brother Andrew are longtime members of Troop 608. The troop raised thousands of dollars to buy a new trailer earlier this year.
"We spent basically two years saving up for this new trailer because our old one broke," Andrew Alonso said.
Inside the trailer was everything the troop needed to go camping.
"Most of our camping gear, all of our cooking equipment, some tents, we have shelters in there, a lot of stuff really important to the troop," Andrew Alonso said.
Troop leaders tell News 6 for years they would park the trailer filled with camping equipment at a lot beside the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo and they have never had any problems.
"We did not have a lock that prevented anybody from coming in and hitching the trailer to any vehicle," Assistant Scout Master Alvaro Alonso said. "Quite honestly, we never expected this to happen."
The troop said they noticed the trailer was missing Monday night when they arrived at the church for their meeting. Troop leaders tell News 6 they used the trailer this past weekend to go camping.
Their trailer isn't the only one that was stolen recently. Oviedo police tell News 6 they are investigating two other trailer thefts that have happened over the last few weeks.
Troop leaders are hoping to get results and asking anyone who knows anything to help get their trailer back.
"This is pretty painful for the troop. We're basically not going to be able to go out camping the way we're used to until we're able to replace the trailer and all of our equipment," Alvaro Alonso said.
He adds this is a tough life lesson for the boys to learn, especially during this time of the year.
"It kinda burst the bubble of young kids. You're breaking young kids' hearts," Alvaro Alonso said. "They're definitely learning a life lesson. How can you trust somebody if something of mine was just stolen in such a manner, especially through the holidays?"
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Oviedo police.
In light of the recent thefts, Oviedo police are urging people who own trailers to take extra steps to protect their property, such as using wheel locks, spray painting their name and phone number inside the trailer using bright fluorescent paint, not leaving the trailer in an empty lot, getting insurance for the trailer and taking pictures of the trailer for future use.