Police Now Have A Suspect In Toronto's Ultra-Rare Violin Theft On The TTC (PHOTOS)

The violin went missing on Thursday night.
Toronto Police Now Have A Suspect In The Ultra-Rare Violin Theft On The TTC (PHOTOS)
Toronto Police
Staff Writer

A suspect has been photographed in relation to the theft of an incredibly old and valuable violin from the TTC subway. 

UPDATE: Police say they have recovered the violin as of Tuesday afternoon, but the suspect is still at large.

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Toronto Police

EARLIER: On Tuesday, Toronto Police released images of the man they believe could be connected to the theft of the 263-year-old violin on Thursday night from a subway car on Line 1. 

The violin went missing on Thursday night as the owner was travelling northbound on Line 1 to St. Clair station.

When the owner left St. Clair station, they realized their violin was gone.

In their newest press release, Toronto Police says the suspect was spotted on security cameras at Dufferin Station on Friday — the day after the violin went missing — with what appears to be the instrument's distinctive red case on his back.

He's described as in his 50s, wearing a grey winter jacket, blue jeans, and a white toque.

And they say they're treating the case as a theft investigation.

It's hard to estimate the true price of the violin, which was built in 1757 by the Italian instrument maker Lorenzo Carcassi.

But Dr. Sherry Lee, an assistant professor of Musicology at the University of Toronto, told Narcity over email that she could offer a very rough estimate of between $100,00 and $150,000.

"The owner would like the violin returned before the holidays," the TPS said in their press release.

  • Cormac O'Brien was an Associate Editor at Narcity Canada, covering all things exciting and trending about Canada. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism from the University of Victoria, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and was awarded the BCYNA Community News Scholarship for his writing. He was also the producer and co-host of Now On Narcity, Narcity's flagship podcast.

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