WAMO radio station asks for help finding suspect who stole $10K in equipment

A man broke into the offices of WAMO-FM hip-hop radio station in Forest Hills early Monday and stole about $10,000 worth of equipment, officials said.

Jamal Woodson, the station’s general manager, woke to a call shortly after 4 a.m. from operations manager Louis Wingfield, who showed up to work and found multiple rooms stripped clean.

Stolen items included computers, speakers, microphones, TVs, gaming consoles and other equipment.

“I was sick to my stomach,” Woodson said. “We’re the only urban radio station in the Pittsburgh market, and we were heartbroken just to see someone take advantage and do this to us. It was completely devastating.”

Surveillance footage shows a man entering the station and appearing to scope out a few rooms and check if anyone was around before stealing the equipment, Woodson said. Woodson says the man got in via forced entry.

Allegheny County Police are investigating.

The station posted the security camera footage to Facebook and asked anyone with information to come forward.

The burglary did not prevent the station from airing its usual programming on Monday.

They relied on backup generators and ran their New York-based syndicated morning show, “The Breakfast Club,” while employees talked to investigators and took an inventory of what was missing.

“We’ll be OK,” Woodson said. “We never really panic about not being on the air.”

The hip-hop/R&B and news station has about 20 employees.

WAMO’s roots date to more than 65 years ago. It’s been broadcasting in greater Pittsburgh with a news component since 2011, when it was purchased by Martz Communications Group.

The station operates via 100.1 FM and 107.3 FM as well as 660 AM.