Man arrested following Heart instruments heist
A 57-year-old man has been arrested for stealing two instruments from American rock band Heart, including a Fender Telecaster, though one of the instruments remains missing.
The man, Garfield Bennett, has been accused of stealing the instruments from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, where Nancy Wilson, Ann Wilson, and the rest of the band were setting up ahead of the opening show of their tour.
Bennett reportedly entered the venue undetected, stole Nancy Wilson’s custom Telecaster and Paul Moak’s mandolin, which he has been performing with for over two decades. Bennett then started trying to sell them on the streets outside, selling one to an unknown buyer. While the police were later able to track down one of the instruments, the other remains missing.
Wilson provided an update to Fox 29 News per Guitar World, confirming that the man is in “custody”. She said: “We set up the gear the night before the first show. Somehow, somebody with a hoody, that they caught on CCTV, did a drive-by and nabbed them. The perpetrator is in custody now, but the instruments are still not found.”
Wilson previously issued a “no questions asked” reward for anybody who could locate the stolen instruments, explaining that they are “extensions of our musical souls” and that the Telecaster “was made uniquely for me,” while Maok’s mandolin “has been with him for decades.” She said: “We’re heartbroken, and we’re asking for their safe return.”
This follows another setback for Heart, when their current tour was postponed in 2024 due to Ann Wilson’s “time-sensitive” treatment for cancer. This meant that all European dates were postponed, including dates in the UK, during which Heart were due to be supported by Squeeze.
Shortly after the announcement, Wilson gave a personal update, stating that she is “okay” and that fans shouldn’t worry. “I do apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” she said. “It’s certainly an inconvenience for me.”
The current tour is set to resume on June 10th through August, wrapping up in New York at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Recently reflecting on her health to People, Ann said, “I’ve come from a really far away place to get up to the strength and energy you need to do it.”
She added: “I’m just really curious to see what I feel like when I walk out there. I think it’s just going to be great. I feel really empowered right now.”
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