We write about a lot of benefits on CL. Sometimes we're trying to fight terminal illnesses, and sometimes we're just imploring you to join the community trying to keep a longtime favorite food stop open. It's this kind of story that makes you cringe, though.
Late Sunday night, after another installment of the BOTB-winning Ol' Dirty Sundays party at Crowbar, someone broke into a vehicle belonging to longtime Tampa deejay Anthony "DJ Fader" Othouse and stole his laptop along with Serato vinyl slip mats. Othouse, 44, also appears on WMNF's Hip Hop Flavors program, but deejays to make the ends meet. The thieves essentially stole his livelihood.
"I am at a loss for words right now and feel totally helpless," Othouse, wrote on Facebook early Monday.
Tampa Police Department told CL that the incident is still under investigation, but did confirm that unidentified suspects smashed a rear passenger window and then removed a carrying case that held a laptop computer inside before fleeing the scene in an unknown direction.
"We're still investigating to identify and arrest the suspect(s) responsible for this break-in," TPD spokeswoman Janelle McGregor, wrote to CL in an email.
In the meantime, a local hip-hop label has organized a simple online campaign to help Fader recover his losses. A goal of $2,800 has been set, and as of Monday evening almost $300 had been raised.
"He's been a staple of the hip-hop community for the last 20 years," Tom DeGeorge told CL. DeGeorge, 40, is the GM of Crowbar, which hosts Ol' Dirty Sundays. He met Fader in 2001 after being brought on to manage the Masquerade (now The Ritz Ybor).
"I think the whole [situation] is really lousy," DeGeorge added, "Fader is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet."
Get more information on how to help DJ Fader here. You can donate directly by kicking here. We'll update this post as more details become available.