A suspect has been arrested in the theft of suitcases that police say contained unreleased music and tour materials belonging to Beyoncé, but the hard drives reportedly holding the singer’s never-before-heard tracks have not been recovered.
Atlanta police said Kelvin Evans was booked into Fulton County jail on charges of entering a vehicle with the intent to commit theft and a parole violation after investigators connected him to a July 8 break-in in a downtown parking garage. The theft occurred, authorities say, inside a garage at 44 Krog Street NE sometime within an hour after 8:09 p.m., two days before Beyoncé was scheduled to begin the Georgia leg of her Cowboy Carter tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
According to an Atlanta Police Department incident report obtained by The Post, choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue told officers that two suitcases were stolen from a rented Jeep Wagoneer used by members of the singer’s touring crew. The report said the bags contained hard drives with watermarked music, some unreleased tracks, footage and plans for the Atlanta show, and past and future set lists.
"Mr. Grant advised he was also carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyoncé," the incident report said. Police also reported that clothing valued at more than $1,000, two laptops and a pair of AirPods were taken.
Investigators said they used the stolen AirPods and Apple’s Find My feature to track a suspect, and an arrest warrant was issued July 14, according to local media reports. It was not immediately clear whether Evans was the person named in that earlier warrant. An attorney for Evans was not listed in booking information released by local authorities.
Law-enforcement sources and reports indicated that, despite the arrest, the hard drives containing the unreleased material had not been recovered. Police declined to provide further details about the status of digital files or whether any copies of the seized material have been located. Representatives for Beyoncé did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The theft drew attention because the reported contents were described by the incident report as integral to the production of the Atlanta performances. The documents and digital files allegedly taken included plans for the show and footage, information that could affect staging and set lists if leaked. Police did not describe any public release of the material.
Booking records show Evans was taken into custody at Fulton County jail on the vehicle-entry and parole-related charges. A booking photo released by local authorities was included in media coverage of the arrest.
The investigation remains open. Authorities have urged anyone with information about the stolen hard drives, suitcases or related materials to contact the Atlanta Police Department. Media outlets that first reported the arrest cited police reports and law-enforcement sources; local authorities provided the charging and incident details in official records.