Artichoke Community Music suspected thieves caught on surveillance footage

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- New footage released Thursday shows two thieves targeting a Portland music nonprofit earlier this week.

Surveillance video from Artichoke Community Music shows the two suspects coming in and going directly toward specific items they took from the store on Southeast Powell Boulevard. They then used a crowbar to bust off a lock to a room that held unique and expensive instruments.

Overall, $8,000 of equipment was stolen, including microphones, three guitars and a custom mandolin.

The nonprofit has been fighting an uphill battle financially after a rash of recent break-ins. This latest theft - the fifth to happen since 2022 - has resulted in significant losses. This comes even after volunteers paid for new security measures.

“This time it feels a little more personal,” said Artichoke Community Music Executive Director Shelley Garrett. “So here we took a great step forward before Christmas, big selling season, and now we’ve lost some beautiful guitars there. One of them is a custom-made, one-of-a-kind mandolin that can’t be replaced.”

Artichoke relies heavily on donations, benefit concerts, and community support to sustain operations. They also currently have a silent auction going on.

Other ways to support the store, such as being Patreon subscriber, can be found on Artichoke Music’s donation page.