Stolen rare violins recovered in France

PARIS – French police recovered two rare violins worth a total of $250,000 that were stolen from a Los Angeles Philharmonic musician in December, authorities said Sunday.

A burglar stole the violins on Dec. 23 from the West Hollywood home of violinist Mark Kashper, French police said. One was crafted in the 18th century by Carlo Tononi, while the other was made in the 19th century by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume.

Word of the theft was spread among American and European violin dealers. The owner of a Paris violin shop alerted police when an American man tried to sell them recently for just $65,000, Paris police said. Police recovered the instruments Thursday.

The seller, an American who lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands, was taken into custody and jailed pending extradition, police said. The man, whose identity was not immediately released, denied breaking into Kashper’s house and said he bought the instruments from someone he did not know.