Pro Bowler Initially Assumed Theft Was a Prank

A Denver pro bowler says someone committed a weighty crime: making off with 17 bowling balls that he had temporarily placed on his front porch last week. Steven Gallegos tells KDVR he left the balls—about 255 pounds of gear worth roughly $4,500—outside overnight while preparing to move them to another vehicle. By morning, the bags containing the balls were gone.

Gallegos said he initially assumed it was a prank—he pointed out that many balls wouldn't even fit in a small vehicle—then realized he'd lost his entire tournament arsenal, with each ball intended for specific conditions. "That's the competitive advantage that I have, but with that being gone now, I'm just back to being a normal bowler," he says. Forced to compete with just a few backups Sunday, he finished ninth. He doubts the equipment will resurface but has alerted neighbors, and has a warning for all: "People will take anything in this day and age ... don't get lazy like I did."