Pleasantville Man Charged Stealing Rare Heart Instruments Atlantic City

Garfield Bennett, a 57-year-old man from Pleasantville, New Jersey, was arrested for stealing a custom-made guitar and a vintage mandolin belonging to the rock band Heart from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. The theft occurred just before the band’s concert as they prepared to launch their nationwide tour. Surveillance footage captured Bennett attempting to sell the stolen instruments around Atlantic City, leading to his arrest on burglary and theft charges, though one instrument remains unrecovered. The stolen items, including a purple sparkle baritone Telecaster made specifically for band member Nancy Wilson and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin played by Paul Moak for over 25 years, hold significant sentimental value to the band. Authorities urge anyone in possession of the instruments to return them, warning that those who do not surrender the items will face criminal charges. The band expressed deep distress over the loss, describing the instruments as extensions of their musical souls.