A Baltimore County music shop is trying to find the man who stole a $2,200 electric guitar from them last weekend.
Bill’s Music, located in Catonsville, posted about the robbery on Facebook on Sunday.
The whole thing was caught on the store’s surveillance cameras.
The incident happened within minutes. After walking in, the robber can be seen looking around the store’s electric guitar selection.
He slowly made his way toward a customer testing out a guitar, eventually grabbing another guitar that was next to the customer.
He then got out of the store fast.
“We saw it happen as it happened,” said Brian Higgins, the store’s general manager. “It’s almost shocking, you’re in disbelief somebody would be just that brazen to just run out ... but some people get a little desperate and they’re just determined.”
Higgins also said things get stolen from time to time, but it’s never been in such a bold way.
The store will be OK financially, but Higgins said it just hurts that it happened at all.
“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,” Higgins said.
By the time the robber grabbed the guitar and got out of the store, he’d been caught on at least six different cameras.
Some of the store’s staff followed him outside, where they found he had a getaway car waiting.
Higgins said it’d be nice to get the guitar back, but they really just want the suspect caught.
“Frankly, it’s more important to get this fella, so this doesn’t happen to anybody else,” Higgins said. “If we get our guitar back, that’s great, but that’s in a way secondary to us.”
A police report has been filed, but Higgins said the robber is free to call the store.
“The best thing you can do is give us a call, bring the guitar back,” he said. “Whatever issues you may have, hopefully we can help deal with it.”