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A man accused of pocketing two mandolins from a New Jersey music store has returned the stolen instruments with an apology note that read, “Sorry, I been drunk.”
Lark Street Music, known for their vintage guitars, shared video on Facebook last week of what appeared to be 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 the theft of two mandolins on December 22.
The authorities said video from the store captured at about 12:30 p.m. ET last Monday appeared to show a man “wearing a long winter coat, place two mandolin instruments into the jacket’s inside side pockets.”
Bernard “Buzzy” Levine, who has owned Lark Street Music since 1981, said that he had “ignored” the suspected thief in the store as he was focused on other tasks.
“I was over there at the computer, you know, answering mail or putting something on the website. I sort of ignored him totally. He leaves, and a few minutes later I looked up over there and there’s two empty spaces,” he told CBS News New York.
The music store announced last Friday that the mandolins had been recovered.
“An hour ago the thief surreptitiously opened the front door and returned them in 2 shopping bags,” the store’s Facebook post read.
Included in the post was a photo of the returned mandolins and a note that read, “Sorry, I been drunk, Merry Christmas. You are good man.”
The suspected thief was chased after but he got away.
“I ran up to the door and saw him running down the street so summoning all my feet fleetness I took off after him. Not so smart, I lost him, called 911 and they are in pursuit,” the author of the store’s post said, adding, “I feel like I’m in a TV movie.”
The store thanked those who engaged on social media: “Your re-posts and pressure definitely made him realize the walls were closing in.”
It’s unclear whether police ever caught the suspected thief. His identity and motive are also unclear.
The Independent has reached out to the Teaneck Police Department and Lark Street Music for comment.
Levine told ABC News, he “couldn’t believe it” when the mandolins were returned, calling it a “happy ending.”
The owner said the mandolins were worth thousands of dollars. The Gibson F-12 is listed for $3,500 and the Weber Yellowstone is worth $4,250.
