Equipment stolen from Orcutt Boy Scout Troop

Several thousand dollars worth of equipment belonging to an Orcutt Boy Scout troop has been stolen from Saint Louis De Monfort Church. A shed was broken into at the church.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by Troop 95, tents, camping stoves, propane tanks, sleeping bags, backpacking equipment, food, cooking equipment and a custom copper display that was used in their rank advancement ceremonies, were all taken.

It’s hard to think of a worse combination of people to victimize – than kids and a church.

“Yesterday the scouts were getting ready to go on an overnight camping trip in the back country,” Scout Master Brian Olmstead said.

– But when Boy Scout Troop 95 got to their storage shed at Saint Louis De Montfort Catholic Church in Orcutt they found the door open, the lock ripped off and a bunch of their stuff stolen.

“It’s disappointing,” Olmstead said.

Some time over the past three weeks, these crooks got away with sleeping bags, a copper candle holder used for displaying rank advancements – and that’s not all.

“Troop camping equipment, some propane tanks, a box of food from leftover camping,” Olmstead said.

That all added up to about $3,000 worth of stuff – that was fundraised over the years by the Scouts.

“I guess they could sell it for a little bit of money but definitely not for what it’s worth,” Olmstead said.

Interestingly enough just feet from where this shed was broken into, on a Ten Commandments plaque, it read, “You shall not steal.”

“One of the things we’re teaching scouts is community service and helping everyone and doing the right thing and then this happens to the scouts and you add on top it being next to a school and a church, it just makes it that much worse,” Olmstead said.

There’s 20 scouts in Troop 95.

“Whoever did it, if they were watching this, it would be nice if they would just turned it in somewhere, even anonymously,” Olmstead said.

The Santa Barbara County deputy sheriffs Association donated $1000 when they heard what happened.

“Not only are they out there 24-7 protecting everyone, but they’re stepping up when community groups need something with their charitable givings,” Olmstead said.

The money used to buy the equipment took years to raise. They are asking for community support to get new equipment.

The sheriffs office is investigating and currently looking for leads.