Men arrested for stealing Boy Scout trailer in Gainesville

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Two men have been arrested for stealing a Boy Scout trailer from a Gainesville church’s parking lot last week.

Police have charged Timothy Neal Bruce, 32, and Christopher Wayne Cohen, 47, with felony theft in connection with the February 12th incident.

Police say the trailer was stolen from the parking lot of Church of Latter Day Saints on Riverside Drive in Gainesville. The trailer held all of the troop’s camping gear.

Friday, Gainesville police located the trailer after an alert resident told them they saw it in the backyard of a home. All the gear was still inside the trailer.

WATCH: Hear how this impacted the troop in their own words

Scout leaders determined the trailer had been missing since late Sunday night or Monday.

“We've parked it here for years and we've never had any problems,” said Assistant Scoutmaster Adam Whitmire.

Whitmire said the trailer was packed with camping gear worth thousands of dollars.

“We had a number of tents, sleeping bags, stoves, a canopy, picnic table, all the things the boys would need,” said Whitmire.

Many of the camping supplies were bought by the boys using money they raised.

“We sell scout cards to raise money for that kind of stuff,” said Boy Scout Ezra Espinoza.

Some of the boys have been in scouts for years, earning merit badges while learning valuable lessons. The stolen trailer is a lesson that doesn't come with a badge or a sense of accomplishment, just one filled with disappointment.

“It is a life lesson and the best thing we can do is teach them how to quickly bounce back. Our advice for the boys is forgive and be positive,” said Whitmire.

Police are trying to determine who took the trailer from the church parking lot and why.

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