{"id":151650,"date":"2026-03-03T22:18:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/151650\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T22:18:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:18:31","slug":"professional-photographer-desperate-to-get-back-camera-equipment-stolen-at-nyc-bar-the-dead-rabbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/151650\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional photographer desperate to get back camera equipment stolen at NYC bar the Dead Rabbit"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) — A professional photographer is begging for the return of his camera equipment after someone stole it from him at a bar in Lower Manhattan last Thursday.<\/p>\n

Eric Elfstrom said the man caught on camera scurrying away from The Dead Rabbit on Water Street grabbed the bag that contained $12,000 worth of equipment like cameras and lenses.<\/p>\n

“My stomach sank, I watched my whole bag, everything I’ve worked for just leave me,” Elfstrom said on Tuesday, speaking exclusively to Eyewitness News.<\/p>\n

It happened Feb. 26. Elfstrom was sitting near the bar with a friend and when he got up to wash his hands, she stayed behind.<\/p>\n

Video from inside the bar showed what happened next.<\/p>\n

“He was right next to me, my bag was on my left, he bent down four times to see if I would notice or anyone else would notice, and the fifth time he bends down, takes my bag and just goes,” Elfstrom said.<\/p>\n

It was a big blow to the 30-year-old from Red Bank, New Jersey. His gear is his economic lifeline for his company Elfstrom Media.<\/p>\n

He has traveled the world taking pictures of the who’s who of the music industry, including Naughty by Nature, Salt-N-Peppa and he toured with New Kids on the Block.<\/p>\n

Police have video from inside the bar and are investigating. Because of that, officials at the Dead Rabbit said they didn’t feel comfortable speaking on the matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Police say they are looking at surveillance that shows someone running through the streets with the bag as part of their investigation.<\/p>\n

“He could have been following us because, I had a gimbal on the outside of my bag and a tripod on the top, so maybe he saw that and was like there’s something good in that bag,” Elfstrom said.<\/p>\n

His bosses did replace the stolen equipment which was not insured. He says his new gear is now insured with AirTags.<\/p>\n

His friends started a GoFundMe<\/a> to support his efforts to rebuild.<\/p>\n

———-<\/p>\n

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