Ponce Inlet burglary?

I just got off the phone with my mom, and she said that the local news (in Daytona Beach) had a report that there was a burglary at the Ponce Inlet lighthouse.

The story (as my mom told it to me) is that a person was taking a tour of the lighthouse museum on Wednesday and somehow managed to steal a brass telescope that was in a glass case. Supposedly it is worth several thousands of dollars.

Has anyone heard this story? I can't seem to find it on any of the local news websites down there.

This is what came up on a search of google news:

Rare Telescope Stolen From Ponce Inlet Light Station

Thanks for finding the article, Bryan.

What a shame that someone would do such a rotten thing.

This may sound weird, but I hope everyone keeps an eye out for this telescope. It wouldn't surprise me if someone tries to sell it. In fact, that is why my mom called. She knows about my involvement with lighthouses, and thought that I could spread the word about the burglary.

the news report implies that the thief knew exactly what he/she wanted. This may mean that someone was interested in acquiring that item

My mom faxed me the article from the local newspaper this morning, so I have more information.

A 150-year-old US Lighthouse Service brass telescope and a 6 inch square color prism were stolen from the Ponce Inlet lighthouse on Wednesday, March 6th, sometime between 2:30 and 5pm, it is believed. The items were stolen from the glass cases in which they were housed.

No other items were missing, but cases in five other museum buildings were tampered with.

Police have put the value of the telescope at $5000 and the prism at $500.

The telescope is only one of a few remaining USLS-issued telescopes still in existence. It is made of brass and is 37 inches long when fully extended.

Anyone with information on these items is asked to contact Ponce Inlet police investigator Max Binz at (386) 322-6700.

This all happened during regular visiting hours? Someone "tampered with" displays in 6 different buildings and stole items from one of them? Sounds like some security measures are needed here. Although you just wouldn't think a lighthouse museum would be a target for theives I guess anything's possible in this day and age, unfortunately.

I really hate to hear stuff like that!

From my experiences at Ponce, they don't have staff stationed at each building. You basically do a self-guided tour of the grounds, so I could see where something like this might happen. I don't know if they have cameras installed in each building, but that may be something that will need to be done in the future.