'School of Rock' actor accused of stealing guitars from music stores

SARASOTA, Fla. (FOX 13) - An actor from the hit movie "School of Rock" has been arrested after authorities said he stole several guitars from music stores in the Bay Area.

Joseph "Joey" Gaydos Jr., 27, played a child guitar prodigy named Zack in the 2003 movie, which starred Jack Black.

According to reports, Gaydos was busted at least four times, in a five-week period, for stealing guitars and amplifiers to pawn for cash. He allegedly told investigators it was all to fuel an ongoing drug habit. 

The first alleged theft seems to have happened at a store in North Port, on Tamiami Trail, Jan. 31. According to an arrest affidavit from Sarasota County, the store owner said the alleged thief asked to play a blue Les Paul Epiphone Prophecy guitar, valued at $800. After a few minutes, the store owner said the guy took off.

The affidavit says Gaydos was later arrested, but due to Amendment 6 rules, information about what led deputies to him was redacted.

The second alleged theft was caught on camera. Venice police posted security camera footage from Troll Music on Feb. 7, showing a man, believed to be Gaydos, strumming a guitar inside the store before walking out with it.

"COME ON! When will thieves learn that almost all establishments have cameras? This sticky-fingered bandit made off with a guitar while the employee was distracted," police wrote in the video's caption on Facebook.

Days later, Feb. 11 Gaydos went to the Sam Ash store in Sarasota and walked out with a $2,000 Les Paul guitar. Police reportedly arrested him in the parking lot after customers blocked his car from leaving.

Police in Sarasota also arrested Gaydos Feb. 25 and charged him with two counts of grand theft.

And in Charlotte County, sheriff's deputies added to the charges, saying Gaydos stole two amplifiers from his father. 

The probable cause affidavit said Gaydos had been living at his father's house in Punta Gorda for the past year. His father said Gaydos had stolen items from him before, but he had been trying to help his son for his heroin addiction and didn't report the thefts.

Investigators said Gaydos admitted to stealing his father's amplifiers. He also told detectives he had stolen a guitar from a store in Sarasota, a polka dot guitar from Troll's Music in Venice, and another guitar from a Guitar Center in Fort Myers.

Gaydos was also arrested in Manatee County and faces a grand theft charge there as well. He has been charged with a total of four felonies, TMZ reported.

Gaydos is currently in custody at the Sarasota County jail. His bond was set at $10,000.