Thief returns mandolins with handwritten note: ‘Sorry I been drunk’

A row of mandolins

A row of handcrafted mandolins lines the wall of Mike Dulak’s workshop in Rocheport, Mo., Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Over the past 30 years, Dulak has made thousands of mandolins, and says he finds a sense of spirituality in working with the wood, just as he does playing his guitar. But Dulak, along with the largest group of Americans, does not associate himself with any religion. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

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(NewsNation) — A drunk thief had a change of heart this holiday season when he returned two stolen mandolins with a brief handwritten note.

“Sorry, I been drunk, Merry Christmas,” the note read, partially in all caps. “You are good man.”

Lark Street Music, a vintage guitar shop in Teaneck, New Jersey, posted the note to its Facebook page, announcing the return of the stolen items. The business first posted about the stolen mandolins, which spread on social media, possibly sparking the thief’s return.

“Your re-posts and pressure definitely made him realize the walls were closing in. Thank you all!!! I feel like i’m in a TV movie,” the owner, Buzzy Levine, wrote.

The thief returned the instruments in two shopping bags but ran off before an encounter could be made.

“I ran up to the door and saw him running down the street so summoning all my feet fleetness I took off after him,” Levine wrote. “Not so smart, I lost him, called 911 and they are in pursuit.”

The mandolins cost $3,500 and $4,250, respectively.

Police are investigating to determine the identity of the suspect.

Strange News

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