Deputies at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) have recovered nearly $60,000 worth of stolen guitars following an interception in Lake Forest, California.
“On Friday night (May 15), someone tried to strike a chord with a burglary involving nearly $60,000 worth of guitars,” reads the statement on the official Lake Forest Police Service Facebook account, “but Deputies quickly changed their tune.”
Officials detail that Deputy Carillo and K9 Billy, with the department’s K9 unit, managed to locate the suspect’s vehicle, a Kia Forte, parked at the gas pumps. The deputies detained the suspect and recovered five high-value guitars from the open trunk before taking the vehicle into custody.
Judging by the price tags still attached to the guitars when they were recovered, the Fender Custom Shop 1952 Telecaster, vintage 1950 Gibson L7-C, PRS Private Stock McCarty 594, single-cut Gibson Les Paul Custom, and Gibson Eric Clapton “Crossroads” Custom Shop ’64 Reissue ES-335 were all stolen from a Guitar Center in Lake Forest.
Due to the commercial nature of the burglary, the unnamed suspect faces severe felony charges under California law, including grand theft and commercial burglary.
“No satisfaction for this suspect,” the statement continues. “Just a failed getaway, busted chords and a setlist that includes felony charges. Deputies hit all the right notes bringing this case to a close.”
A few weeks ago, a separate suspect was arrested in Washington state in connection with a series of high-value guitar thefts at multiple West Coast Guitar Center locations.
