SAPD recovers van stolen from a nationally touring band Lower Dens at The Pearl

A van belonging to a nationally touring band that was stolen on Sunday afternoon was recovered fewer than 24 hours after it disappeared. A van belonging to a nationally touring band that was stolen on Sunday afternoon was recovered fewer than 24 hours after it disappeared. Photo: By Mark D. Wilson Photo: By Mark D. Wilson Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close SAPD recovers van stolen from a nationally touring band Lower Dens at The Pearl 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — A Baltimore-based band’s nationwide tour almost came to an early end Sunday after a thief swiped their van from a public parking lot at The Pearl.

Jana Hunter, member of Lower Dens, stopped at The Pearl on Sunday to grab a quick cup of coffee with a band mate around 12:30 p.m., she said in an interview with mySA.com.

Hunter said she parked the band’s dark blue, equipment-laden Ford E-350 in the lot under U.S. 281 as crowds buzzed about Sunday’s farmers market.

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Hunter said they were only gone for about half an hour, but when they returned, the van was gone.

“It just seemed so unlikely that with all those people out during the day, with the van being locked and with the short amount of time that we were there that it would be stolen,” she said. “It’s really hard to describe that feeling.”

Hunter said the band didn’t know if they would be able to continue their tour, which still has about a dozen cities remaining, if their gear wasn’t recovered.

Within 24 hours, San Antonio police received a tip that the vehicle may have been in a parking lot on the North Side.

SAPD Sgt. Ramiro Juarez said officers went to check out the tip and found the van, still full of equipment, in a parking lot at the rear of the Montecristo Apartments in the 200 block of North Loop 1604.

Hunter said that she is headed back to San Antonio to reclaim the van. While she isn’t sure if all of the band’s property is still inside, she said she is feeling lucky.

Juarez said authorities have not been able to identify any suspects at this point, but the investigation is still ongoing.

mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @MDWilsonSA