This month he has at least one bis for a violin of $ 650,000 to USC and it was thought that he was lost forever.
Los Angeles Police Department The detectives announced Tuesday That a violin Milanese 1694 Giovanni Grancino was recovered that had been stolen almost two weeks before, and a suspect is in custody.
Detection Stephanie Gutiérrez, who directed the investigation, said the instrument seemed unharmed, but a specialist paid on a private part would inspect the violin to confirm its condition.
“I am a person of history, and when I heard that this was 1694, I just said:” They cannot replace this “and should be found,” Gutierrez said.
The Los Angeles County District Prosecutor confirmed that Jonathan Saldana, 31, was accused of serious crime. He was arrested on April 9 and declared himself innocent on April 11.
Saldana is stopped at the installation of the Pitches Detention Center in Castaic. Go back to court on April 25.
A call to his public defender was not returned.
The police allege that the suspect, that Gutierrez believes that he has no home, followed a Postgraduate student from the USC to the Department of Music on April 2.
The student slid her card for access, that the police believe that she allowed Saldana to get behind the student.
“It is a safe installation, but the closure so slowly that anyone can walk in Beind correct,” Gutiérrez said. “I sat in front of the door and could come and go 10 times before it closed.”
USC did not answer the questions of the times.
Gutiérrez said the images of the surveillance chamber showed that the student was practicing with the 331 -year -old violin on a couch. Then put the instrument to study.
Duration that time, said Gutiérrez, Saldana supposedly saw the violin unattended and went out with the instrument and his case. He is also accused of stealing a scooter on his way out of the campus around 5:30 pm
Gutiérrez said he used surveillance images to identify a county building where Saldana received services for homeless people.
She is possible to identify him and her family’s house. He thought he no longer lived in the house, he stopped frequently and left his clothes, according to the police.
Gutiérrez said that Saldana’s stepfather confirmed that he saw Saldana take the violin case.
The violin recovered in a camp near West 31st Street and Main Street, not far from the USC.
Gutierrez said that no one wanted to exchange with Saldana for the instrument and that another possible homeless person stole it. Gutierrez said he spoke with this individual, who returned the violin on Thursday around 9:30 pm
Gutiérrez said the violin had received a loan from private owners in Los Angeles to a music store in Koreatown, where the student threw it.
“I told the owners that, honestly, the violin was probably sold immediately and that finding the suspect would be difficult,” Gutierrez said. “I was surprised that the violin was still close, and I am very happy to have found it.”
