Guitar World has seen its fair share of instrument theft stories – including one that saw someone swap a broken guitar for a $3,000 Gretsch – but few have been as brazen as this one.
Bill’s Music in Catonsville, Baltimore, has shared CCTV footage of an individual walking into the store, eying up a sunburst Gibson Les Paul reportedly worth $2,200, and running out the door with the guitar in his hands.
The perpetrator was in the store for just a few minutes, and Bill’s Music has shared the CCTV footage online in the hopes of finding the individual who made off with the guitar.
“He was literally running out the door,” store owner Bill Higgins told CBS News. “We just hope to find the guy. If we retrieve the guitar, that's the icing on the cake.
“We saw it happen as it happened,” he continued. “It's almost shocking. You're in disbelief somebody would be just that brazen to just run out. We have cameras all over the place. We have everything under lock and key. But, when it happens, it's like a punch in the stomach.”
CCTV footage shows the perpetrator walking into the store, his face obscured by a cap and snood scarf. He's seen walking by a customer testing out a different guitar. The thief then promptly picked up the Les Paul and made a swift, brazen exit.
A total of six different cameras picked up the incident, which saw members of the store’s staff follow him outside. A getaway car was waiting for him – a gray Acura RDX SUV with what Bill’s Music says was a “borrowed” license plate.
We're just a few months into 2024, and we've already seen our share of heartbreaking and heartwarming guitar theft-related stories.
In January, $80,000 worth of vintage guitars were stolen from Guitar House of Tulsa, leading Joe Bonamassa to appeal for help in returning the stolen instruments. In February, a guitarist was reunited with his beloved Gibson Les Paul, after it had been stolen from him almost three decades ago.
Musical instruments are often a prime target for thieves due to their high value. However, these thefts can damage the ability of physical stores to stay afloat when competing with internet-based competitors.
Higgins says the store will survive the financial impact of the theft but has publicized the incident to make sure “this doesn't happen to anybody else”.
“The best thing you can do is give us a call, bring the guitar back," Higgins said to CBS News, directed at the criminal. “Whatever issues you may have, hopefully we can help deal with it.”
If readers have any useful information to share, they can call Baltimore County Police at 410-887-2222.
