The preliminary hearing for a former Bird Rock piano shop owner accused of theft has been delayed to April 23 in San Diego Superior Court.
Schroeder Piano Company, the store that Peter Schroeder operated at 5680 La Jolla Blvd., closed in February amid numerous complaints that pianos placed on consignment with the firm somehow disappeared and that the owners were not paid.
Schroeder, 75, is charged with 14 felony counts, including elder theft, grand theft and fraudulent appropriation. The elder theft counts refer to alleged victims 70 years of age or older.
The charges allege the pianos were placed on consignment in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and that the alleged theft happened in September of 2014. One charge lists “Grace Church” as a victim without specifying its full name or location.
Schroeder, of Pacific Beach, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains free on his own recognizance. — Neal Putnam