A bizarre theft at a New Jersey music store ended with an unexpected apology after two stolen mandolins were quietly returned along with a handwritten note reading: “Sorry, I been drunk.”
The incident took place on December 22 at Lark Street Music, a well-known instrument shop in Teaneck that specialises in vintage guitars and string instruments. According to the Teaneck Police Department, the store’s owner reported that two mandolins had gone missing earlier that day.
Security footage later shared by the shop on Facebook appeared to show a man wearing a long winter coat slipping the instruments into the inside pockets of his jacket at around 12:30pm before leaving the store.
Bernard “Buzzy” Levine, who has owned Lark Street Music since 1981, said he did not immediately notice the theft as he was busy working at his computer.
“I sort of ignored him totally,” Levine told CBS News New York. “He leaves, and a few minutes later I looked up over there and there’s two empty spaces.”
The missing instruments were identified as a Gibson F-12 mandolin, listed at US$3,500, and a Weber Yellowstone mandolin, valued at US$4,250.
Just days later, however, the story took an unexpected turn. On December 26, the store announced that the mandolins had been returned.
“An hour ago the thief surreptitiously opened the front door and returned them in two shopping bags,” the shop wrote in a Facebook post. Alongside a photo of the instruments was an apology note that read: “Sorry, I been drunk. Merry Christmas. You are good man.”
Levine said he briefly chased after the person as they ran down the street but was unable to catch them, later calling 911. Police were alerted, but authorities have confirmed that no arrests have been made so far, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The store thanked social media users for sharing the original footage, suggesting that the online attention may have pressured the suspect into returning the items.
Levine later described the outcome as a “happy ending,” saying he was stunned when the valuable instruments were returned safely.
