Atlantic City Police Recover Some Of Heart’s Stolen Instruments. Here is How They Did It.
Alex Lloyd Gross File Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Nancy Wilson of Heart.
by Alex Lloyd Gross
On May 30,2025, police said Garfiield Bennett snuck into restricted areas of the Hard Rock Casino and stole a guitar and mandolin. Bennett said he sold the guitar and has no ideas of what happened to the mandolin. While Bennett is sitting in jail on a slew of charges, the police were able to recover the guitar this week belonging to Nancy Wilson.
They did it the way the original article said they would do it. By using security camera footage. Bennett was observed giving the guitar to a woman who put the guitar in a vehicle in the 1300 block of Pacific Avenue. The detectives then utilized the department’s automated license plate readers to identify the vehicle the woman was using. After identifying the vehicle, the automated license plate readers were used showing that the vehicle was in Atlantic City. Officer Robert McDevitt was able to quickly locate it and speak with the driver. The guitar was voluntarily surrendered and detectives learned that the woman purchased it from Bennett.
The guitar was turned over to the Hard Rock Casino, and will be reunited with Wilson shortly. The guitar has been turned over to representatives of the Hard Rock Atlantic City who will be turning the instrument over to the Heart band members.
The location of the mandolin is still being investigated.
“The continued use of advancing technology and the hard work and determination from our detectives and patrol officers led to the quick recovery of one of the missing instruments,” said Chief James A. Sarkos. “The Atlantic City Police Department embraces technology that allows our officers to investigate and combat crime.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Section at 609-347-5766 or submit a text anonymously to tip411 (847411). Begin the text with ACPD.