What began as a typical night for the band Lespecial at the Westcott Theatre turned into a nightmare the following morning when they discovered their van window smashed and three bass guitars stolen from a hotel parking lot.
Since the theft last weekend, fellow musicians and even strangers have stepped in to support the band.
A GoFundMe campaign raised $8,000 in just one day, according to bass player Luke Bemand. Local musicians have also reached out, asking for photos of the stolen basses in hopes of tracking them down.
“There have been a lot of musicians from the Syracuse area who’ve offered their support,” Bemand said. “Unfortunately, in these situations, you never know how long it could take for something like this to resurface.”
The theft occurred between 2 and 5 a.m. on December 7 in the parking lot of the Collegian Hotel & Suites, located at 1060 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Police reported that all three stolen bass guitars belonged to Bemand, including a custom-made blood moon bass, a Black Sterling Music Man Sting Ray (which was funded by a fan), and a Carvin Five String Fretless (a gift from his bandmates and family around ten years ago).
In addition to the bass guitars, two suitcases were also stolen from the van.
Syracuse police have contacted local pawn shops, but no leads have surfaced yet, said Kieran Coffey, a police spokesperson. The band has also contacted local pawn shops and guitar centers to see if the instruments turn up.
To help with the search, the band has been conducting reverse Google image searches in hopes of finding the stolen instruments for sale online.
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