When Barbara Ockel, the executive director of the Bayview Opera House, arrived at her office this morning, she discovered broken glass at the entrance. Once she opened the front door and looked inside, she realized that six iMac computers and several brand-new laptops were gone. 

The organization's offices, which are located across the street from the opera house itself, have never experienced a burglary like this before. The incident left Ockel shaken, and forced the office to close for the day.

The burglars "took from the entire Bayview/Hunters Point community," she told us. "This is a huge loss for us, both in money and valuable time lost."

Built in 1888, the Bayview Opera House is a historical landmark (it's the oldest existing theater in San Francisco), and a cultural institution in the neighborhood. It reopened last September after a two-year, $5.7 million renovation, and currently offers a number of programs for youth and seniors, including yoga, dance classes, and a summer youth arts program.

Ockel said that she has notified SFPD about the burglary, and an investigation is underway. At this time she does not have further information about potential suspects. 

Community partners are currently assisting Ockel in cleaning up and taking an inventory of missing items, but the mood at the office today was somber.

The opera house is currently seeking donations from the community to help purchase new equipment:

We had a major break in last pm ~ 6 computers stolen ~ Pls help us recover so we can do our work. Donate here: https://t.co/4GgV3UlD0D TY!

— Bayview Opera House (@BVOperaHouse) April 7, 2017

Anyone with information on this case should contact the SFPD through their anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text-a-tip to TIP411 with 'SFPD'  at the beginning of the message. The opera house is also asking anyone with information to contact them directly at (415) 824-0386.