Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have had five stolen guitars returned to them by police , just a few days after offering a ‘no questions asked’ $7,500 award for the safe return of their instruments . Amongst the recovered guitars was one of Petty’s trademark vintage 12-string Rickenbackers.
U.S. police were later thanked by the veteran rocker as he prepares for his latest tour. Writing on his Twitter account, Petty said:
“Extremely gr8ful 2 the Culver City Police Dept 4 a job well done touched by the outpouring of good wishes concern from R fans friends.”
Furthermore, police confirmed they have arrested 51-year-old security guard Daryl Washington over the theft. Washington works at The Culver Studios just outside Los Angeles, where the instruments were reported missing last Thursday. Police had acted on a tip that one of the instruments had been sold to a pawn shop in Hollywood for $250.
Washington has been charged with grand theft, stated police spokesman Ron Iizuka, adding, “We believe that there is a very strong and compelling evidence in this case.”
Some of the other instruments taken include a Dusenberg model created for Heartbreakers guitar player Mike Campbell (not yet returned), Petty’s 1965 Gibson SG TV Junior (returned), bassist Ron Blair’s Fender Broadcaster (returned) and a 1967 Epiphone Sheridan belonging to Heartbreakers guitarist and keyboard player Scott Thurston (also returned).
Since the instruments went missing, Petty has used Twitter to plead for their return, stating: “These guitars mean a lot.”
Petty and the Heartbreakers are famous for hits such as ‘Refugee,’ ‘Learning To Fly,’ and ‘Breakdown.’
