Guitar thief busted: 'I can't believe this guy just did this'
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EVERETT, Wash. - An Arlington man returned home from vacation to find some of his prized collectible guitars stolen. The classic instruments were emotionally irreplaceable - the prized possessions in a collection.
Fortunately, someone else - Tommy Steinley, the owner of an Everett guitar shop - loved them just as much. Steinley had appraised the guitars for the rightful owner before they were stolen and knew them inside out.
So when he learned that a thief had taken the guitars - it really struck a sour chord.
"You know, guitar just strikes right down to the inner core of my soul," says Steinley. "Guitars are just something I really identify with. ... These are really cool guitars."
Then, when a man walked into his store the very next day offering to sell some guitars that he had "inherited," Steinley was instantly on the alert.
The man told Steinley's employee, Kyle Gibbony, that he had gotten the guitars from his grandfather, and wanted to sell them because he needed money for tuition.
The man said he wasn't sure what kind of guitars they were, so Gibbony asked the man to bring them into the shop so they could take a look at them.
Then Gibbony called Steinley.
"I thought it was very interesting he didn't know what he had," says Gibbony. "The first two he brought in were very iconic."
Gibbony described the first guitar to Steinley over the phone. It was a 1980 Gibson Flying "V."
"And I said, 'OK Kyle, let me guess the second one,'" recalls Steinley.
Steinley knew exactly what it was - he'd just talked to the crime victim on the phone.
He told Gibbony, "Kyle, the guitars are stolen, and we're going to get them back."
And Gibbony says, "Inside I'm thinking, 'Oh man, I can't believe this guy just did this.'"
Steinley orchestrated the trap via the phone, telling Gibbony to secure the stolen guitars behind the counter, then secretly go call the cops.
"I see a cop pull up in the alleyway," remembers Gibbony.
"The police were here in less than a minute," says Steinley.
The police busted the bad guy and later gave the cherished guitars back to their owner.
On Saturday the rightful owner, Jim Jackson, came to the Steinley's guitar shop.
Jackson says he began collecting the guitars decades ago.
"I figured they were gone for life," he says. "I was rejoiced."
For Steinley and Gibbony, the story definitely ends on on a positive note.
"Yes, score one for the good guys," says Gibbony.
Two of the owner's guitars are still missing. Police have one man in custody.
Fortunately, someone else - Tommy Steinley, the owner of an Everett guitar shop - loved them just as much. Steinley had appraised the guitars for the rightful owner before they were stolen and knew them inside out.
So when he learned that a thief had taken the guitars - it really struck a sour chord.
"You know, guitar just strikes right down to the inner core of my soul," says Steinley. "Guitars are just something I really identify with. ... These are really cool guitars."
Then, when a man walked into his store the very next day offering to sell some guitars that he had "inherited," Steinley was instantly on the alert.
The man told Steinley's employee, Kyle Gibbony, that he had gotten the guitars from his grandfather, and wanted to sell them because he needed money for tuition.
The man said he wasn't sure what kind of guitars they were, so Gibbony asked the man to bring them into the shop so they could take a look at them.
Then Gibbony called Steinley.
"I thought it was very interesting he didn't know what he had," says Gibbony. "The first two he brought in were very iconic."
Gibbony described the first guitar to Steinley over the phone. It was a 1980 Gibson Flying "V."
"And I said, 'OK Kyle, let me guess the second one,'" recalls Steinley.
Steinley knew exactly what it was - he'd just talked to the crime victim on the phone.
He told Gibbony, "Kyle, the guitars are stolen, and we're going to get them back."
And Gibbony says, "Inside I'm thinking, 'Oh man, I can't believe this guy just did this.'"
Steinley orchestrated the trap via the phone, telling Gibbony to secure the stolen guitars behind the counter, then secretly go call the cops.
"I see a cop pull up in the alleyway," remembers Gibbony.
"The police were here in less than a minute," says Steinley.
The police busted the bad guy and later gave the cherished guitars back to their owner.
On Saturday the rightful owner, Jim Jackson, came to the Steinley's guitar shop.
Jackson says he began collecting the guitars decades ago.
"I figured they were gone for life," he says. "I was rejoiced."
For Steinley and Gibbony, the story definitely ends on on a positive note.
"Yes, score one for the good guys," says Gibbony.
Two of the owner's guitars are still missing. Police have one man in custody.
