Gig Harbor police have a unique car theft case on their hands. A van stolen from a community in Gig Harbor had a giant mirror ball stored inside, and thieves managed to get away with it Saturday evening. The owners want it back since it is a key element for the performance troupe Circuswerks.
The grey Ford Econoline van was stolen from a parking area at the back of the Harbor Country Estates on Harbor Country Drive in Gig Harbor.
The owners say the unique entertainment element of the disco or mirror ball is only valuable to them, and in a way only suitable for a circus performance, a Berlin Nightclub, or a Las Vegas Show.
Carla Petrulli is the owner of Circuswerks and is hoping the mirror ball can make it back to her.
“If somebody was to see this they would say that’s – that’s not a normal thing… The mirror ball is a very, very unique piece of equipment that I had designed specifically for the company,” Petrulli said.
Petrulli showed KIRO 7 the area where the van was taken Saturday evening, just a day before she was going to put the mirror ball back into storage.
She says a Good to Go tag showed the grey Ford Econoline van and the giant ball crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge around 6:50 p.m. Saturday.
The ball is no small thing -- four feet wide and four feet tall -- and it’s used for handstands and contortion work in Petrulli’s performance company.
“It’s not a subtle thing and it has this wow factor in entertainment that is not like anything Seattle’s seen before. You can’t find something like this outside of Las Vegas,” Petrulli said.
The ball that was boosted with the truck is worth thousands -- and is often the centerpiece of Petrulli’s shows.
“I have an uncertain future at this moment with commitments to clients into next year if this is not available now,” Petrulli said.
She suspects they had no idea that a giant ball with 8,000 mirrors was sitting in the back. Petrulli admits there are very few places in this country and frankly in the world where this giant disco/mirror ball would be useful.
Since it was custom-made over six months Petrulli says it would be nearly impossible to replace it, and she’s only had it since September.
It would be hard *not* to notice it, so Petrulli hopes someone sees it -- or someone sees fit to return the orb.
“If we could have it back no questions asked – just do the right thing,” Petrulli said.
The van is a silver 1997 Econoline Cargo van, license plate BKE9797.
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