Detectives Recover 60 Percent Of Stolen Items To Local Boy Scout Troop

ONTARIO (CBSLA.com) — A local Boy Scout troop has reason to celebrate after detectives managed to track down and recover a large portion of the troop's gear, which had been stolen in February.

A trailer full of the troop's equipment had been stolen, and the good news of the equipment's recovery was delivered to the scouts of Troop 2000 by San Bernardino Sheriff's Department deputies at a community concert on Tuesday, which featured the U.S. Marines Drum and Bugle Corps.

In all, over 60 percent of the scouts' equipment, including grills, lanterns, coolers and other supplies, was recovered. The equipment had been missing since Feb. 20.

Deputies spotted the stolen equipment last week, as they investigated an unrelated crime.

"There is a special connection here. The connection is that the deputy who conducted this investigation and started it is a former Boy Scout and a United States Marine," Detective Marc Beitler said.

That deputy, Rudy Delgado, presented the scouts with the two items that troop leaders say were missed the most — an American flag and the troop's flag.

"We don't have a clubhouse or scout house like many troops have," Troop Master Eric Herchenroeder said. "So wherever this flag is, with our awards, is home for us."

Troop leaders also say the equipment that was stolen totaled in value in the thousands of dollars.

"We were nervous and scared because we lost our trailer and that was thousands of dollars of equipment lost," Senior Troop Leader Nicolas Morales said. "Now that that is back, it's just a miracle."

As far as the scouts of Troop 2000 were concerned, the  Marine Corps ceremony — a celebration of freedom and justice — may as well have been put on just for them.