Stolen $100K Custom Cello Found, Returned To LA Musician

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A rare $100,000 custom cello stolen from a prominent Los Angeles classical musician last week has been found.

On the night of Aug. 8, the valuable string instrument was stolen from the San Diego hotel room of John Walz, the principal cellist for the Los Angeles Opera.

The cello was taken during a burglary of Walz room at the Town and Country Hotel in the neighborhood of Mission Valley, according to San Diego police.

Walz wrote on Facebook that he had gone out to dinner and returned to find everything in the room stolen.

However, two days later, on Aug. 10, a man stumbled onto the cello discarded in downtown San Diego, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The man initially took it to his mother's house in Chula Vista. When they realized the cello had been reported stolen, they contacted police.

The cello was returned to Walz undamaged. There was no word on whether police had identified any suspects.

"A fellow found it on the street in downtown San Diego, and it was through news outlets I was tracked down," Walz wrote on Facebook. "A huge thanks to everyone for their thoughts, good wishes, helpful suggestions and to the people responsible for reuniting us!"

The cello was made in 2010 by Altadena-based instrument maker Mario Miralles. Police said it is valued at about $100,000.

Walz was in San Diego to teach at the Bravo! International Music Academy, a two-week program for talented, young classical musicians held at San Diego State University, according to the Union-Tribune.