A Lafayette musician is looking for musical instruments that were stolen from his car while it was parked in downtown Lafayette.
UPDATE: A $500 reward is being offered for the return of the instruments - no questions asked.
Michael Barney has played his pipes at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles and Festival International, and at local spots like the Blue Moon Saloon. But Friday evening, he had nothing to play and was walking through downtown, looking behind dumpsters and bushes for his beloved instruments.
"I don't know what else to do," he said. "I think somebody grabbed them out of my vehicle and took off. They were in cases, so it's not like they could see what they were. I hoping they dumped them somewhere."
Lafayette Police say anyone who has the instruments and wants to return them can do so at any Lafayette Police Station.
Barney said he hasn't slept since his pipes were stolen, and although his car wasn't damaged he would have handed the thief the keys to it.
"I can't replace them," he says of his bagpipes. "My set of Scottish pipes were made for me when I was nine years old. They were made by my teacher, who has been dead for 20 years. I can't replace that."
Barney says he wants his instruments back, and he's willing to take them back with no questions asked.
"It's not even about somebody taking something from me. I just want my instruments," he said. "If anyone knows where they are, they can call me."
Barney said he's been playing since he was a child, and his instruments are a part of him.
If you know anything, you can call him at 337-288-7707 or Lafayette Crime Stoppers at 337-232-TIPS.
