Help Manny Recover Stolen Camera Gear
Beschermde donatie
Hello everyone,
Many of you may know me as Manny, uleviclean, or ulevifilm.
On Saturday at 2:32 PM, July 5th, 2025, my camera backpack containing over $10k worth of equipment, and 1TB worth of digital copies of my photos and Manga IP... was stolen.
LOST EQUIPMENT = $9650 + TAX = $10,000+
Canon R5 camera body $3200
RF 15-35mm f2.8L lens $2600
RF 24-70mm f2.8L lens $2600
RF 50mm f1.8 lens $220
PGYTECH OneMo backpack $200
Zhiyun CINEPEER CX50 light $150
SanDisk 128GB extreme CFexpress $120
Samsung 1TB SSD $80
Polaroid GO camera $80
Tripod $100
Multiple SanDisk SD 256 GB $100+
Apple Airpod Pros gen 1 $200
(This does not account for misc. items like cords, camera tools like plates and connectors, business cards, pens, etc.)
It is more than just lost items, in that backpack was my entire creative career: My Mangaka and Photography career
- Prior to this theft, I had the grand opportunity to meet with the editor-in-chief of VIZ media Hisashi Sasaki. I was selected 1 out of 10 lucky aspiring mangakas out of the entirety of Anime Expo. I had to take advantage and decided to bring EVERYTHING about my manga. From concept art to finished illustrations. From first drafts to my final written stories. While I have some back up in my google drive, it cannot replace the PSDs, misc. sketches, early works, and references I had in that drive.
- While equipment and money are replaceable, the photos I took of my wonderful and talented friends cannot. A HUGE part of my budget for this trip were from photoshoot commissions. Within almost 3 days of the con happening, I've probably shot over 500 photos. Now gone.
Below are the specifics of TIME/PLACE
**The times are labelled according to the messages I had with my friend. I will include photos.**
---- July 5th, 2:25 PM ----
I was waiting for friends in front of the NIKKE booth in South Hall. I took off my backpack and set it next to my feet while waiting as. My Anime Expo tote bag was also next to it.
---- July 5th, 2:31 PM ----
My friends and I confirmed we were in the same area around the NIKKE booth. With how crowded Anime Expo was, someone can literally stand next to you and you wouldn't know it's them, so I searched around briefly.
---- July 5th, 2:32 PM ----
ACCORDING to the AX supervisor who has SEEN the footage (more on this later), the thief IMMEDIATELY snatched my bag after I left my spot.
---- July 5th, 2:32 PM ----
I went back to retrieve my belongings, and only the AX tote bag remained.
LAPD UPDATES:
As of July 9th, I have not heard from the investigation team nor the convention supervisor.
I will continue to update here as I get more information.
Thank you all deeply for your time and donations. Just sharing this story to your friends and social media means more to me than you can imagine.
Organisator
Manuel Cord-Cruz
Organisator
Dyer, IN