EXCLUSIVE: Thieves steal $24,000 of band equipment
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It was gone in a flash! Thieves stole $24,000 worth of band equipment not long after a show Wednesday night. Now, without their livelihood, the members of the band Zolopht are trying to find their lost equipment and replace everything.
It happened while the band was staying at a Quality Inn on Northwest Freeway near Bingle Road. The hotel manager says surveillance video shows two men and a black Chevy Impala stealing the band's van and trailer around 4:45am Thursday.
"I feel violated. It was one of the most demoralizing things that's probably ever happened to me in my life," explained percussionist Greg Indivero.
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"[The criminals] came through, picked the lock out, essentially pulled that out, gone in three minutes and out," he said, while demonstrating how the van's lock was punched out and it was hot-wired and driven away.
The van and trailer were later recovered, but everything inside the trailer, from amps to guitars and drums, was missing.
This theft comes after another band had its trailer full of equipment stolen from a La Quinta Inn Parking lot on East Freeway at Normandy last Friday.
"Unfortunately, we did have an idea that this kind of stuff happens in Houston. I'm sure it happens all over the country as well. It's not Houston-specific. But Houston is known in the band world for a dangerous spot," Indivero said.
Houston police said they have not seen an uptick in stolen band equipment, but a spokesperson said it's not unusual for thieves to steal trucks with enclosed trailers because of what could be inside. Police recommend marking your equipment to prove it belongs to you. They also say you should stay at a reputable hotel and park in a well-lit area within view of security cameras.
The manager gave the band a free night while they worked with Houston police to try to find their stuff. An online fundraiser has been set up to help the band.
