A Chicago man is accused of robbing a musician of his one-of-a-kind violin that is worth $10,000.
Thirty-nine-year-old Timothy Johnson is identified as the suspect in the case surrounding the custom-made instrument that was recently stolen off the Blue Line train, CWB Chicago reported Thursday.
Musician Cyrus Spurlock was on the train heading to Wicker Park when the incident happened at the Clark and Lake stop the evening of April 11.
Spurlock was holding the violin, which was inside its case, when it was snatched from him. He told ABC 7 it was handmade by a family member. He called the violin “irreplaceable.”
The 22-year-old student at the Art Institute of Chicago told police officers he saw two men waiting outside the train car moments before the robbery occurred.
He said, “The doors kept opening and closing, and eventually one of them ran back in, just snatched the instrument and then just ran off. It was in my lap. I was holding onto it, and we kind of fought over for a second, but he was quite a bit stronger.”
He then expressed how valuable the instrument is to him and plans to offer a reward to the person who comes forward with information leading to the violin being returned.
“It’s a real gift because it’s an instrument that truly, I don’t, I don’t deserve. I’m not the greatest violin player, but it’s a beautiful instrument. It’s something that I hope to continue to do the rest of my life. So, it will mean the world to get it back,” Spurlock commented.
Law enforcement shared images of the instrument but have not reported finding the violin, per the CWB Chicago article.
Video footage shows the instrument:
Johnson is charged with robbery in the case, the outlet said, noting he is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing Thursday.
“According to CPD records, Johnson was arrested on charges of assaulting a transit employee at the Logan Square Blue Line station on February 28. He pleaded guilty on March 21 in exchange for a 30-day sentence, according to court records,” the report noted.
Social media users were quick to share their comments on the CWB Chicago report about the suspect, one person writing, “His middle name is Stradivarius.”
“This guy is a violent-ist, not a violinist,” another user said.
