A 300-year-old violin worth millions of dollars is being held safely at Milwaukee police headquarters more than a week after it was stolen.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of the Lipinski Stradivarius after they used a stun gun on concertmaster Frank Almond moments following a Jan. 27 concert. The Stradivarius was given to Almond on an indefinite loan and is valued at $5 million.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, the three suspects who were arrested on Feb. 3 are a 36-year-old man, a 41-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, all from Milwaukee.
“There are good days, and there are bad days, and today is a good day,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said during a press conference. “I want to give credit to all law enforcement who were involved in this effort."
The Milwaukee Police Department worked with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI. An independent tip led to the violin, which was found in a suitcase in an attic. Flynn said the violin seemed to be in good condition.
The violin is to be returned to its owner later Thursday. District Attorney John Chisholm said charges will be filed on Friday morning.
Made in 1715, the Stradivarius, named after Italian instrument creator Antonio Stradivari, is one of about 600 violins, violas and cellos of its kind. A Stradivari cello from 1701 is on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and, according to the BBC, another violin was sold at an auction in December for $2.3 million.
