NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A group of thieves burglarized several unlocked vehicles in a Donelson neighborhood. A Grammy award-winning music producer had his laptop stolen from his rental SUV.
Several neighbors caught the thieves on surveillance video around 3a.m. on Cain Harbor Drive. One neighbor said his gun and several valuables were stolen from his truck. In the video you can see a female, and a young male, checking door handles while a driver in an SUV follows them.
Torrance Esmond said, "From looking at the videos, these were children 9, 10-years-old and they're being lead and being directed by someone who's of age to drive? But then when I saw the photo of the person that was with the child, it looks like someone's mother?"
Esmond's laptop was stolen which is a big hit for him as a music producer.
"Had a lot of files, a lot of important information, lot of unreleased records from some pretty big names in the industry on that computer. Fortunately for me, everything is password protected, and Apple has a great product where I am able to wipe my Mac so it's not like they're going to get anything," Esmond said.
He accidentally left his vehicle unlocked while bringing his daughter to visit family.
"I had the baby bag in one hand, I had my luggage in one hand, I guess a lot of the things mothers do, I'm having to do myself, and in my mind I'm like 'Hey I'll come get the laptop bag once I get her down,'" Esmond said.
After his laptop was taken, he wants neighbors in Abbington Park, River Trace, and River Glen to be on alert and learn from his mistake.
"Even if it's for a split second, ya gotta keep your doors locked," Esmond said.
While he deals with the aftermath of the crime, he feels bad for the young thief, and worries about his future.
"For that adult, for that kid, it's not worth it. It's not worth your life, for what? A popsicle at the end of the day? $20 or something like that? To go do some dirt for some adults? It's just not worth it."
According to a Metro Police spokesperson, in total 2 guns were taken from unlocked cars, and 1 car was stolen because the keys were left inside. So far in 2019, 465 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville as of August 17th.
