Rock band Heart gets one of their stolen instruments back, Atlantic City police say
By Joe Brandt
Click here for updates on this story
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey (KYW) — One of the two instruments stolen from the rock band Heart after they set up for a recent show in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has been returned, police said Tuesday.
A purple Telecaster electric guitar specially made for Nancy Wilson is now back in the possession of Hard Rock Atlantic City, which will return it to the band. Meanwhile, investigators continue looking for a missing mandolin.
Atlantic City police said the theft occurred after Heart set up gear ahead of a May 30 show at the Etess Arena at Hard Rock. Police used surveillance video to track a suspect, later identified as 57-year-old Garfield Bennett, of Pleasantville.
Detectives learned Bennett allegedly sold the guitar to a woman. The footage showed Bennett handing her the guitar before she placed it in a vehicle on the 1300 block of Pacific Avenue.
Automatic license plate readers were then used to identify the woman’s vehicle, and data from the readers showed the vehicle was still in Atlantic City.
An officer located the woman and spoke to her, and she then voluntarily surrendered the instrument.
The still-missing instrument is a 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin, which performer Paul Moak has played for over 25 years.
Police previously stated that the instruments should be returned or any potential purchaser could be charged with receiving stolen property.
“The continued use of advancing technology and the hard work and determination from our detectives and patrol officers led to the quick recovery of one of the missing instruments,” Chief James A. Sarkos said in a news release. “The Atlantic City Police Department embraces technology that allows our officers to investigate and combat crime.”
On her Instagram page, Wilson previously thanked “fans, fellow musicians, media outlets, and kind-hearted people from around the world” for their support after the theft was announced. “It means the world to us. Your support has been amazing!” she wrote. Wilson has not yet posted about the recovered guitar.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
