A man accused of stealing two mandolins from a New Jersey music store has returned the stolen instruments along with an apology note that read, “Sorry, I was drunk.”
Lark Street Music, known for its vintage guitars, shared a video on Facebook last week that showed a man stealing two mandolins, a Gibson F-12 and a Weber Yellowstone.
The Teaneck Police Department said the owner of a local music store reported two stolen mandolins on Dec. 22.
Authorities said video taken at the store around 12:30 p.m. ET last Monday appeared to show a man “wearing a long winter coat placing two mandolin instruments into the inside pockets of his jacket.”
A thief suspected of stealing two mandolins from a New Jersey music store has returned the stolen instruments (Lark Street Music)
Bernard “Buzzy” Levine, who has owned Lark Street Music since 1981, said he “overlooked” the suspected thief at the store because he was focused on other tasks.
“I was at the computer, you know, answering emails or writing something on the website. I just completely ignored him. He left and a few minutes later I looked up and there were two empty seats,” he told CBS New York.
The music store announced Friday that the mandolin had been recovered.
“An hour ago, the thief secretly opened the front door and returned them in two shopping bags,” the store’s Facebook post read.
Video shows a man placing two mandolins, a Gibson F-12 and a Weber Yellowstone in his winter coat pocket (Lucker Street Music/Teaneck Police Department)
The post included a photo of the returned mandolin and a note that read: “Sorry I was drunk, Merry Christmas. You are a good person.”
The suspected thief was chased but he escaped.
“I ran to the door and saw him running down the street and I chased him like crazy. Not too smart, I lost him and called 911 and they were giving chase,” the author of the store post said, adding, “I felt like I was in a TV movie.”
The store thanked those active on social media: “Your retweets and pressure definitely made him realize the walls were coming down.”
Suspected thief returns mandolin with an apology note that says “Sorry, I was drunk” (Brain Street Music)
It is unclear whether police have caught the suspected thief. His identity and motives are also unclear.
independent The Teaneck Police Department and Lark Street Music have been contacted for comment.
Levine told ABC News he “couldn’t believe it” when the mandolin was returned, calling it a “happy ending.”
The owner said the mandolins were worth thousands of dollars. List price is $3,500 for the Gibson F-12 and $4,250 for the Weber Yellowstone.
Mandolins worth thousands of dollars (Lark Street Music)
