$20,000 in camping gear stolen from father-son group in Pompano Beach
POMPANO BEACH - A trailer packed with nearly $20,000 worth of kitchen equipment, camping gear, and supplies was stolen from a parking lot near Powerline and Sample Road.
The theft stunned members of a father-son group who rely on the items for their bonding adventures.
"It was a shock! Oh my goodness, the trailer's not there," said Ben Johnson, recalling the moment he discovered it missing. After reaching out to friends and family to see if anyone had borrowed it, Johnson realized the trailer had likely been stolen.
The trailer, filled with everything needed for father-son camping weekends, was central to the group's mission of fostering quality time together.
Johnson and his 10-year-old son, Charlie, are part of the Pocomokes, a chapter within the Teton Nation organization, which organizes camping trips and outdoor events aimed at building connections between fathers and their sons.
For Charlie, the trips are a highlight. "It's fun hanging out with my dad, it's fun hanging out with the other kids, running around, doing all the activities," he shared.
The camping weekends give them time to bond, something Charlie cherishes because of his dad's busy schedule.
"He has to work, and I have to go to school. So I'm not always able to spend time with him, but we get to spend the whole weekend together hanging out and having fun," Charlie said.
As the group's next camping trip, an Everglades adventure in January, draws near, they're exploring options to replace the stolen gear.
For now, they plan to share supplies with other Pocomoke chapters, but an appeal for help from all the Pocomoke dads may be on the horizon to replenish the lost items.
"We're going to have to do an assessment to all the Pocomoke dads, unfortunately, to be able to replace some of that equipment," Johnson explained.
Anyone with information that could help find the stolen trailer is urged to contact Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
