Sonoma’s Sebastiani Theatre looted

Cash, wireless microphones, iPad taken from historic but cash-strapped movie palace|

An unknown person or persons took advantage of a blackout during the recent firestorm to steal a number of items from the Sebastiani Theatre.

On Sunday, Oct. 15, theater operator Roger Rhoten was at the facility and ran across the alley on an errand. When he returned, he was working in the office and heard some noises. But it’s not unusual to hear noises in the 90-plus-year-old theater, so Rhoten flashed his light around, and didn’t give it a second thought.

Later, he locked up and left for the night.

The next morning when he came in, he found the cash register from the refreshment counter on the floor and discovered it had been rifled.

He went into the office, and found that though the safe was locked, when he opened it the contents were missing. As he looked around, he noticed the back doors weren’t locked, and he knew they had been the night before when he left.

In addition to about $2,500 in cash, an iPad and eight wireless mics were missing.

“It seems like whoever was in here, took small things that they could probably stuff into a backpack,” he said.

Rhoten said he called the police who came out and took a report.

“We’ve already had some generous donations,” he said. “We’re OK.”

Rhoten said the theater will be hosting a pair of fundraisers – a variety show and a concert – for fire victims toward the middle of November.

Email Bill at bill.hoban@sonomanews.com.

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