Cops: Cub Scout trailer stolen

When Cub Scout Pack 370 of Islip reported its equipment trailer stolen, 10-year-old Nicholas Nilsen didn't seem overly disturbed.

But nearly a week after the incident, his father, Kurt Nilsen, the pack master, has noticed his son, a scout in the pack, seemed upset.

"He understands that we can replace the equipment and stuff but we can't buy the memories that were in that trailer," he said.

Suffolk County police said Tuesday the pack's 8-foot-by-10-foot trailer, which stored camping equipment, supplies, banners, flags and 40 years of Cub Scout memories, was taken from the Islip lot of Marconi Manor Caterers on Commack Road and Moffitt Boulevard between Jan. 16 and Jan. 18.

Nilsen said the trailer was purchased eight months ago for about $500 from another scout group in Ronkonkoma. He had been storing it at the ungated corner lot ever since.

After parking the trailer on the lot a week ago after a pack event, he and his son noticed it was gone Thursday night, as they returned home from a trip to a nearby store.

"I called people in the pack, to make sure no one had just borrowed the trailer," Nilsen said. It took him just a handful of phone calls to realize the trailer probably had been stolen.

"Someone just backed in, hooked it up and took off," he said.

He described the trailer as weathered, painted gray on silver, with signage from its previous owner, Boy Scout Troop 439 in Ronkonkoma.

"My son is supposed to move up to Boy Scouts soon, and all the items needed for the ceremony are in that trailer," Nilsen said. "To him, that's a little upsetting."

Anyone with information on the missing trailer can call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477. All calls will be kept confidential.