Instruments stolen from Ventura County students in Chula Vista

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) —A trip to San Diego for a performance ended on a sour note for students from Ventura County.

The students were in town for a concert performance at a church in Tierrasanta.

The group stayed at a La Quinta hotel on Bonita Avenue in Chula Vista. Early Sunday morning, they discovered their rental truck had been broken into and many of the students' instruments had been stolen.

The students are from the Newbury Park Adventist Academy. The school principal says 20 to 25 instruments worth $20,000 to $25,000 were taken.

The crime was reported to Chula Vista Police, who confirmed they are investigating.

In 2022, ABC 10News covered a similar crime at the hotel across the street where $58,000 worth of archery equipment was stolen from student-athletes from Kentucky.

Tuesday, the police wouldn’t call these crimes a trend but more a crime of opportunity, reminding people to park in well-lit areas and, whenever possible, bring valuables into their rooms.

The students are now preparing for an upcoming spring concert in a few weeks, hoping the instruments will be recovered or can be replaced at a low cost or with donations from the community.