SOMERVILLE — A pawn shop in Somerville acquired a $200,000 violin for $50. But it turned out to be stolen, authorities said.
A staff member at La Chic Boutique in Davis Square told the Globe the circa-1759 Gagliano violin also came with two bows that are valued at $40,000. After receiving the musical instrument last week, and learning about its extraordinary value, the shop was informed by Somerville police that it was actually stolen, the staff member said.
The pawn shop declined to comment further, citing the ongoing police investigation.
Somerville Deputy Police Chief James Stanford said the pricey violin was among several items reported missing from a home on Ossipee Road that had been burglarized earlier this month.
“Through investigation by Somerville Detectives, leads were developed and the violin was located at La Chic Boutique in Davis Square,” Stanford said in an e-mail.
It’s not clear whether any charges have been filed against the person who pawned the instrument.
According to a police report obtained by the Globe, the owner of the violin lives with her boyfriend at the Ossipee Road address, and the boyfriend reported the break-in on the morning of July 20.
In addition to the violin, two of the owner’s wallets containing various credit cards were stolen, along with two cameras valued at $2,000 each, according to the report.
The boyfriend told police the violin owner had “received fraud notifications on her phone for at least one, possibly two credit cards. The fraud notification said that $124 was charged at CVS but the text did not specify which location.”
Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney.