Man arrested for stealing two “one-of-a-kind” instruments from Heart – but they still haven’t been found
Heart guitarist and vocalist Nancy Wilson has confirmed that a man who allegedly stole “two one-of-a-kind” instruments from the band has been arrested.
The alleged perpetrator, 57-year-old Garfield Bennett [per Guitar World], was taken into custody last week, but was not in possession of the two stolen instruments: Wilson’s custom baritone Telecaster with a hand-painted headstock, and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin played by band member Paul Moak “for over 25 years”.
READ MORE: “I go, ‘Hey, Steve, how you doing?’ He goes, ‘My f**king lips are killing me!’”: Pat Travers on the hilarious first time he met Steven Tyler
Heart discovered these instruments had been stolen on the evening of 30 May, after they had set up at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Wilson tells Fox 29 News that “somehow, somebody with a hoodie that they caught on CCTV just kinda went and did a drive-by and just nabbed ’em.”
According to Atlantic City police, Bennett was seen on CCTV cameras around town attempting to sell the instruments on the streets, before being arrested on the Kentucky Avenue beach block, just off the boardwalk.
Police say Bennett was able to sell one of the instruments to an unknown buyer, while it’s not yet known what happened to the other. “I don’t know if both were sold off or not,” Wilson says.
In a post on Instagram, Wilson explains: “These instruments are more than just tools of our trade – they’re extensions of our musical souls. The baritone Tele was made uniquely for me, and Paul’s mandolin has been with him for decades.”
Heart are offering a no-questions-asked reward for any information leading to the safe return of both instruments. “Their value to us is immeasurable,” Nancy writes.
In the caption of the post, Wilson adds: “The outpouring of love and concern has been overwhelming, and we are truly touched by the strength and compassion of this community.” Photos of the instruments are included in the post below for anyone who may know of their whereabouts.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nancy Wilson (@nancywilson)
Elsewhere, Atlantic City police have issued a warning for anyone knowingly in possession of the stolen instruments: “Any individual in possession of these stolen items is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Department and voluntarily surrender the instrument.
“If not surrendered, and the individual is located in possession of the stolen items, they will be arrested and criminally charged with receiving stolen property.”
Anyone with information about Heart’s missing guitar and mandolin can contact their tour manager, Tony Moon, via email at tonymoon@me.com.
The post Man arrested for stealing two “one-of-a-kind” instruments from Heart – but they still haven’t been found appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
