SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Efforts to reopen San Diego’s Starlight Bowl hit a snag after someone broke into the amphitheater on July 12 and stole about $30,000 worth of equipment.
The theft is the latest setback in a long string of incidents that have delayed the push to save the Balboa Park venue.
In July 2019, a tree fell on the box office and damaged the roof.
Months later, in October, $50,000 worth of equipment and memorabilia was stolen — items that were supposed to be auctioned off as a fundraiser for repairs.
The group behind the effort to restore the amphitheater, Save Starlight, said they may not be able to keep protecting the iconic venue unless the City of San Diego steps in to help.
Police were on scene Tuesday, scanning through surveillance video to see if they could catch the thieves that broke in.
Save Starlight said thieves in the weekend burglary stole thousands of dollars in donated guitars, soundboards, and Sony video cameras. The group believes the thieves entered through a security window that does not have a deadbolt; many of the chains and locks at the Starlight Bowl are over seven years old.
"Whenever a project that you put your blood, sweat, and tears experiences this type of criminal behavior, it's an emotional setback over the financial setback these guitars were donated to us, so for us to be able to walk in to a venue that we are volunteering to see," said Carleton Overstreet, Jr., the vice president of outreach for Save Starlight. "Our hard work and efforts suffer this sort of loss; it's definitely a setback."
Right now, Save Starlight is pushing to finalize their lease with the city. They said without signing on that dotted line, they can't bring in some of their sponsors and donors who would help fund security efforts and renovations.
Overstreet said it'll take at least $20 million to get through the first phase of renovations to bring the venue back to life. With the recent uptick in vandals, that number just keeps growing.
