A father and daughter traveled from Brooklyn to SF for Outside Lands. Then their rental car was broken into

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Aug 6, 2022

After a flurry of last-minute ticket purchases, airline reservations and Airbnb bookings last week, Patrick Fondiller and his daughter, Ruby, were ready for their trip from Brooklyn, NY, to San Francisco.

The highlight of the cross-country trip was Ruby’s chance to see her favorite artist, Mitsky, to perform at Outside Lands after COVID-19 and scheduling conflicts foiled his previous attempts to watch the singer-songwriter perform.

Fondiller and her daughter landed at San Francisco International Airport this week and took some time to explore the city. Fondiller, who lived in San Francisco from 1991 to 1997, said he wanted to show his daughter where he used to hang out.

He parked their rental car on Steiner Street and went to lunch at a nearby cafe. After a long day, they drove to their Airbnb in Berkeley, where they noticed the car’s rear window had been smashed and broken into.

Almost everything was lost except for Patrick’s suitcase. His laptop bag, containing their Outside Lands tickets, was missing. Ruby’s suitcase containing her clothes for the weekend was also stolen.

A photo of the interior of Patrick Fondiller’s rental car, which was broken into. Fondiller and his daughter traveled from New York to San Francisco for Outside Lands, but thieves broke in and stole, among other things, their music festival tickets.

Provided by Patrick Fondiller

Car robberies have been a stubborn problem for years in San Francisco. Over the past year, thefts – especially in tourist areas – have increased in the city after authorities eased pandemic restrictions, ushering in a gradual return of tourists and city residents to public spaces.

Fondiller made a police report to the San Francisco Police Department, but he was dismayed that they weren’t tracking his Apple ID to try and find his laptop and hopefully the tickets. He recalls a similar incident where his phone was stolen in New York and police were able to find it using tracking technology. He said the SFPD refused to do the same.

A police department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ruby’s mother sent her daughter money after learning of the unfortunate event. Patrick and Ruby went shopping, where she was able to replace her clothes with new outfits for the festival and also bought a suitcase.

After a hectic two days, he said he called the Outside Lands promoters and their tickets were replaced.

“We’re just not going to let that get us down. We will rise above it,” he said.

Jordan Parker (he/him) is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]: @jparkerwrites.