CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) - A paralyzed senior says a break-in at a North County storage unit has delivered a devastating blow, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We could hardly believe it. We were very, very upset,” said LaVonne Gudmundsson.
Gudmundsson vividly remembers the scene that greeted her when she entered her large unit at a storage facility in Carlsbad.
“Sad. I cried,” said Gudmundsson.
That was just before the pandemic. The thieves sliced the wire mesh ceiling of the unit and rolled it back.
More than half the items were taken, including dozens of antiques Gudmundsson and her husband had collected over the years.
Also missing: dozens of guitars. The 79-year-old Gudmundsson, a quadriplegic car crash survivor, and retired teacher, was hoping to open a store and resell the guitars to make extra money.
After the theft, because of her condition, taking inventory of the losses was slow going. Finally, she now has a sense of how big the losses were.
“In total, about 50 guitars were stolen. Most were brand new,” said Gudmundsson.
Of the handful that wasn't new was a ‘priceless’ one: one of 80 limited edition ‘Lucille’ guitars gifted to blues legend B.B. King for his 80th birthday and signed by King.
Gudmundsson purchased it for less than $4,000 before King's death in 2015.
“Similar ones have sold at auction for over $200,000,” said Gudmundsson.
In all, Gudmundsson believes her loss is several hundred thousand dollars. The storage insurance paid out about $2,000.
Because of the theft, her dreams of a storefront have come to an end.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Carlsbad Police at 760-931-2197.
