A Stradivarius violin stolen from Frank Almond, concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Almond was walking to his
car after a performance Monday night when an assailant used a stun gun
on him, causing him to drop the instrument.
The attacker then took
the violin and fled to a waiting vehicle, which was being driven by a
second suspect, according to Milwaukee police. That vehicle was
described as a late 1980s or early 1990s, maroon or burgundy, Chrysler
or Dodge minivan.
"It appears at this time that the violin was the primary target of this assault and robbery," police said in a statement.
"It is important to note
that this violin is valuable to a very small number of people in the
world and is not something easily sold for what it is worth."
According to the symphony, Almond plays on a violin made by Antonio Stradivari from 1715, known as the "ex-Lipinski."
The estimated worth of it is $6 million.
A police spokesman declined to comment on the instrument's exact cost, instead putting it in the "millions."
The Milwaukee police are
working with the FBI's Art Crime Team, which specializes in high-end
art thefts. The FBI team, in turn, works with Interpol to connect art
dealers able to help locate stolen items throughout the world.
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