There’s at least one encore left for a $650,000 violin stolen from USC this month and thought to have been lost forever.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives announced Tuesday that a Milanese 1694 Giovanni Grancino violin that had been stolen nearly two weeks earlier was recovered, and a suspect is in custody.
Det. Stephanie Gutierrez, who led the investigation, said the instrument appeared unharmed, but a specialist paid for by a private party would inspect the violin to confirm its condition.
“I’m a history person, and when I heard this was from 1694, I just said, ‘They can’t replace this’ and it needs to be found,” Gutierrez said.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office confirmed that Jonathan Saldana, 31, has been charged with felony grand theft. He was arrested April 9 and pleaded not guilty April 11.
Saldana is being held in the Pitchess Detention Center North Facility in Castaic. He’s due back in court April 25.
A call to his public defender was not returned.
Police allege that the suspect, who Gutierrez believes is homeless, followed a USC graduate student into the music department April 2.
The student swiped her card for door access, which police believe allowed Saldana to slip in behind the student.
“It’s a secure facility, but the door closes so slowly that anyone can walk in right behind,” Gutierrez said. “I sat across from the door, and I could go back and forth 10 times before it closed.”
USC did not respond to questions from The Times.
Gutierrez said surveillance camera footage showed that the student was practicing with the 331-year-old violin on a couch. She then put the instrument down to study.
During that time, Gutierrez said, Saldana allegedly saw the violin unattended and walked out with the instrument and its case. He is also accused of stealing a scooter on his way off campus around 5:30 p.m.
Gutierrez said she used surveillance footage to identify a county building where Saldana received homeless services.
She eventually identified him and his family’s home. Though he no longer lived at the house, he stopped by frequently and dropped off laundry, according to police.
Gutierrez said Saldana’s step-father confirmed that he saw Saldana carrying the violin case.
The violin was recovered in an encampment near West 31st Street and Main Street, not far from USC.
Gutierrez said no one wanted to barter with Saldana for the instrument and that another homeless person eventually stole it. Gutierrez said she spoke with this individual, who returned the violin Thursday around 9:30 p.m.
Gutierrez said the violin had been on loan from private owners in Los Angeles to a music shop in Koreatown, where it was borrowed by the student.
“I told the owners that, honestly, the violin was probably sold immediately and finding the suspect would be difficult,” Gutierrez said. “I was shocked the violin was still in the vicinity, and I’m so happy we found it.”
