Alrighty folks... here's the story,

It was Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, CA, on the corner of 6th and Camelia Street. A friend (fellow empeg owner) and i were doing some "junk" shopping all day at reuse centers. We parked the car across the street and just around the corner from Urban Ore, went to get some food at Picante, about 500 feet from my car, then went across the street to Urban Ore. I normally take the empeg with me or at least put it in the trunk, but i figured it would be fine in a fairly active area such as we were in, and we would only be gone an hour.

We came back and i pressed the button to turn the alarm off, and it beeped 4 times which means that someone tripped the alarm while i was gone. I thought nothing off it other than saying "that's weird"... and went to the trunk to put something in, when Scott said something pointing out the busted passenger window sitting on my front seat. Quick survey and i knew... they only took the empeg. They knew what they were doing i immediately thought. We looked around the area, hoping the guy didn't know what he had and dumped it in a garbage or something, then i called the claim in.

So after calling the insurance company, a guy pulls up with his wife and asks "Is your car okay?" Hah... "No, someone busted my window and stole my stereo" i replied. Long and short of it is he and his wife were just coming home looking for a parking spot, when they saw someone standing over my car and the alarm going off with a grey hatchback across the street double parked... and thought it was weird. "I saw a hispanic guy standing there as the alarm was going off, but there was people around the streets and i didn't wanna jump to conclusions ya know?" he says. Nice. So he drove back around the block, and the hatchback was then in front of my car kind of at an angle, and the guy was still in my car. I assume that means the guy had a getaway driver. Then he says after they got home, they saw the car drive off, which is when he thought he might wanna get the plate number, which he did... or so he thought.

So he tells me all this... and for some reason i wasn't pissed at the guy and his wife... i'd already accepted the empegs fate and i dunno... i wouldn't expect someone to put themselves in any danger for a stupid stereo... and on top of that... i can see how he would just think it was someone trying to turn off their alarm or something... i mean this thief had nuts to break into a car in a fairly busy street, with people all around and cars passing by. Anyhow, whatever.... i wished he'd have done something but i wasn't pissed at him.

So the cop comes. I give a report, the guy who "saw" it comes back, gives his report. They run the plate, it was for a Jag, not a grey honda civic hatchback that the guy saw. So much for that. They can't run similar plates... they have to have an exact match. I turned down the fingerprinting, no point... everything was smudged.

Now... the thing is... this guy knew what he was after. He took out the pocket and faceplate around the empeg carefully, only breaking a few tabs. He took the tuner (including the adaptor!), and the sled, unplugging the RCA's. He had to cut two of them that were taped to well to just yank out. He attempted to get the LCD screen, which i knew a long time ago that no one would ever be getting out the way we put it in... no way... so at least that was amusing to me. It still works too, despite the shell being snapped in two. Other than that, he left everything. The Rio remote, the two pairs of sunglasses, and the GPS that were hidden in the console, AND the playstation in the glovebox. Oh, and my backpack in the backseat. I know i know, i had a lot of crap in there... but this was a busy area!!

I'm guessing one of two things. This guy either saw us somewhere else and followed us there, and knew what an empeg was, or he knew my car from the web, and knew what was in it. The latter seems pretty unlikely since he'd have known to take the playstation... but maybe he's already got one... who knows. I'd wager either way he knew exactly what he was going for and what it was worth, because he was a ballsy bastard to do it where he did it, in broad daylight, with people around.

I also noticed today that he tried to punch in the passenger lock, busting it up good, and also tried to pull the trunk release, bending the hell out of it. Glad i lock that from the inside.

This all does make me weary of all the info i have online. People have always told me they thought it was stupid of me, but i dunno.

As for the theory of it being someone i met or told about the empeg recently... i can't think of anyone that fits that bill... i haven't showed it off or anything except to close friends.

After my $500 deductible, everything else is paid for... i'm gonna find out how the insurance company is going to handle getting me a replacement tomorrow. Thanks a million to those who've offered to sell me one... you have no idea how much at ease that sets my mind... i sincerely appreciate it. My car is across the street with plastic over the window... a new one goes in at 8am tomorrow. Here's to hoping i don't have to file a stolen car claim in the morning.