Crime

Harps stolen from Calif. woman found at flea market after tip

By Barry Leibowitz

September 12, 2013 / 9:47 AM EDT / CBS News

(CBS) NEVADA CITY, Calif. - A handful of harps - and then some - were stolen from the home of a northern California woman named Lisa Stine. But CBS Sacramento reports she's now got nearly all of the instruments back, after one of the station's viewers provided a tip after seeing a previous story about the theft.

The man who came through for her is reportedly a fellow musician who recognized the stolen harps at a flea market in Roseville.

Thieves had stolen eight of Lisa's harps (yes, eight) from her Nevada City home while she was out of town.

Two days after CBS Sacramento's initial report a man shopping at the crowded Denios Flea Market recognized the harps one of the vendors was selling as Stine's, and called police.

"All of the harps still had my sticker with my name, telephone number, and address on them, so he was able to get my phone number right away," Stine said.

The tipster waited until officers arrested the vendor, Dean Martinez, for possession of stolen property.

""He didn't have to call me or wait an hour in the hot sun watching that no one bought anything from that vendor - watching that he didn't get away."

According to CBS Sacramento, the man who found the stolen harps wants to remain anonymous, mainly in fear of retaliation by the thieves.

But Stine says she plans to pay him a reward.

Seven of her eight stolen harps are now back where they belong - in her own hands.