Caught on Camera: Police Investigate After Man Lifts Guitar From Wall

The store owner was hoping someone would recognize the man in the video.

Police were investigating after a man was caught on camera taking a custom guitar off the wall and walking out of Caveman Vintage Music in Chinatown on Saturday.

In a strange coincidence, it's the same exact spot where another guitar was stolen 2 years ago, the owner said Sunday. It was that theft that prompted the owner to install security cameras which captured the man’s bold move Saturday.

Security camera video captures the suspect pacing the aisle next to a wall of custom guitars just before 1 p.m.

The store's owner filed a police report and will be meeting with an LAPD detective Monday, but he's hoping the release of the security camera video will prompt someone who recognizes the suspect to come forward.

The small store had about half a dozen customers, some trying out the guitars.

"A gentleman walked in, I said hello, a normal greeting,” Tobin Dale, a store employee, said. “He didn't really pay much attention to it."

The owner was shocked at what happened next.

"At some point he started looking back to see what our employee was doing and he waited for the perfect moment when he answered the phone,” Eric Stollsteimer said. “At that split second he grabbed the guitar, ran out the door."

The owner provided a photograph of the guitar that was stolen, which is a reproduction of a 1959 Eastwood Airline, he said.

"We were all right up front, feet away from where it happened, so the guy was pretty bold," Stollsteimer said. "It’s a really unique guitar, with a nice body style, and the color is bright blue. It's a guitar you're not going to see in every guitar store, so hopefully it'll show up since it's so unique."

Security cameras show a customer running after the suspect, who got away on a bicycle.

"I wished I was here. I would've chased him around the block if I had to," Stollsteimer said. 

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