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.
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.
“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.
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.
Video from inside the bar showed what happened next.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
Police say they are looking at surveillance that shows someone running through the streets with the bag as part of their investigation.
“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.
His bosses did replace the stolen equipment which was not insured. He says his new gear is now insured with AirTags.
His friends started a GoFundMe to support his efforts to rebuild.
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