PORTLAND, Ore. — Police have recovered several guitars that were stolen from San Francisco rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre during their tour stop in Portland.
Frontman Anton Newcombe tweeted on the morning of April 18 that he was on a plane headed to the Rose City when he learned that thousands of dollars worth of the band's gear had been stolen.
He shared photos of the guitars and asked his followers for help tracking them down. Police said they were told the guitars are from the 1960s and have
"enormous sentimental value and are not easily replaceable."
On Thursday, Portland police officers were responding to a homeless encampment by the I-405 onramp near North Kerby Avenue. A number of stolen vehicles had recently been recovered from the camp site, and there had also been a homicide near the camp on April 11.
During their response, officers found five or six guitars along with other equipment that had been stolen from The Brian Jamestown Massacre. They also found suspected fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia and a stolen Subaru, along with other new property believed to have been stolen.
Following the recovery, Newcombe tweeted his thanks to the police bureau and others who helped spread the word about the stolen gear.
"@PortlandPolice I want to thank you for your service and the excellent detective work in locating most of our guitars. I also want to thank every single person that reached out or spread the word about the robbery - thank you all ❤️ #musicwins," he wrote.
The Portland Police Bureau's North Precinct Commander Tina Jones said she was "extremely proud" of the officers who helped recover the gear. She also thanked crews who helped clean up trash at the campsite.
"The conditions of the area were deplorable and a public safety hazard," said Jones. "We also appreciate our partners who assisted in cleaning up the detritus to improve the condition of our city.”
