Heartbroken musician in Boerum Hill seeks help to recover stolen bassoon

The theft occurred just feet away from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, where Sara Schoenbeck's car was parked.

Shniece Archer

Oct 9, 2024, 2:44 AM

Updated 35 days ago

Share:

A woman says she has been heartbroken since someone stole her bassoon over a month ago in Boerum Hill.
“It feels like somebody took a part of my family. This instrument has been with me for 11 years, and it took me 20 years to find it after trying numerous bassoons. It’s going to be really hard to replace,” says Sara Schoenbeck.
The theft occurred just feet away from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, where Schoenbeck's car was parked.
“I was parked in front of the hydrant for just a few minutes...I got in the car, reached back behind me, and it was just gone,” she said.
News 12 obtained surveillance footage from that day, showing a man in a baseball cap carrying away Schoenbeck's bassoon around 3:30 p.m.
Schoenbeck walked with reporters to indicate the direction he fled, emphasizing that the instrument, valued at nearly $50,000, represented her legacy.
“That instrument is literally the only thing of value that I have, and it was going to our son when I finished playing. It’s the only thing I have to will him,” she says.
Schoenbeck has a message to the man who stole the instrument - "If you would drop the instrument off at the Brooklyn Conservatory, just leave it in the lobby. Don’t talk to anybody; just set it down in a bag."
Schoenbeck filed a police report for grand larceny, and hopes her bassoon will be returned safe and sound.