West Valley City elementary school burglarized, student mariachi group loses gear worth thousands

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Last week, Allan Moreno lost a number of things when Esperanza Elementary in West Valley City, where his nonprofit Academia Mis Raíces is housed, was burglarized.

Moreno has been a music teacher at the school for five years. In that time, he’s begun mentoring Utah’s first kids’ mariachi band, and 300 kids are a part of his programs or classes.

Moreno estimates there was over $12,000 lost to the theft — consisting of instruments, speakers, equipment, and more — including three computers. Among them was one that held special memories.

“They took the computer where I have all the kids’ songs from six years ago [and] amazing memories for me and the kids,” Moreno wrote on Facebook, sharing videos of the aftermath.

Moreno said other stolen items include speakers, three trumpets, a 12-string guitarra and several Yamaha guitars.

In April, Moreno told The Tribune the academy was looking for sponsorships and other resources to raise money, since a number of the kids can’t afford to pay for everything.

Some of the instruments they own themselves, some are Moreno’s and some are from Esperanza.

The kids have created four CDs and performed at the Utah Capitol, Rio Tinto Stadium, Smith’s Ballpark and on the red carpet of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Moreno said he feels sad about the events. He started the program at Esperanza from a place of true love for mariachi music and to help the kids connect with their cultural roots here in Utah, he said.

“I want to show those kids here these songs I grew up with, songs that remind me of Mexico, that people sing in their houses,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune in April. “It’s important for me because I don’t want them to grow up and not know where they came from. I don’t want the new generations to forget about mariachi music.”

Donations for the academy can be sent via Venmo.

“True, I know that we live in a very sad time for humanity where many values are being lost. But this will get me going harder to work harder for the youth and children ...” Moreno wrote on Facebook.