Hunter Pence Autographed Scooter Reportedly Stolen From Make-A-Wish Foundation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Burglars broke into the San Francisco office of the Make-a-Wish Foundation Saturday night and stole items including a scooter donated by San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence.

Make-a-Wish Greater Bay Area staff discovered the break-in at their South of Market office Sunday morning, spokeswoman Jen Wilson said today. The thieves, who broke in through a side door, stole items including a backpack worth around $350 that had been donated for an upcoming charity auction, some iPads and laptops, gift cards, and a personal backpack.

They also took the battery-powered scooter, an autographed black model with orange decals of Pence's name and his jersey number 8. Pence had donated the scooter to the organization and it was sold at auction last year for $40,000, but the charity has been holding it in the office for the purchaser, Wilson said.

The incident is not the first time the Make-a-Wish Foundation office has been broken into, and it is not the first time the scooter, which Pence acquired shortly after joining the Giants in 2012, has been stolen either. The distinctive vehicle was stolen from in front of Epic Roasthouse on Embarcadero in May 2014 after Pence left it parked there unlocked. It was returned safely a few days later after extensive publicity about the theft.

Pence on Sunday tweeted "I can't believe it! It's scooter-gate all over again #findhuntersscooterx2" The Make-a-Wish Foundation has released surveillance video of the suspected thieves.

Wilson said it was hard to estimate the impact of the theft on the work of the nonprofit, which makes wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

"It's really discouraging to think about the work that we do here and what this means, because when we grant a wish it's not just for the child, it's for the entire family," Wilson said. "So it's not just the children, it's their entire families affected by this kind of loss."

By Bay City News

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