Tom Petty's Stolen Guitars Recovered—It Was an Inside Job!

For a moment there it was a heartbreaker, that is, until police caught up with the private security guard who swiped the rockers' instruments

By Josh Grossberg Apr 18, 2012 5:00 PMTags
E! Placeholder Image

Memo to would-be crooks: don't come around here no more.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are breathing a big sigh of relief today after police in Culver City, Calif. nabbed a private security guard who made off with the rockers' beloved vintage guitars.

Culver City Police Department spokesman Ron Iizuke confirmed to E! News that the suspect, 51-year-old Daryl Washington, was booked Monday on suspicion of grand theft after detectives tracked him down when he sold one of the instruments to a Hollywood pawn shop.

Petty and the band filed a report April 12 indicating that five of their guitars had been stolen while the Heartbreakers were rehearsing at Culver Studios for an upcoming tour scheduled to kick off tonight in Broomfield, Colorado. They offered a "no questions asked" $7,500 reward for their safe return.

Missing were the frontman's blond 1967 12-string Rickenbacker and Gibson SGTV Junior; ax man Mike Campbell's custom-built blue Dusenberg guitar; bassist Ron Blair's Fender Broadcaster; and guitarist and keyboardist Scott Thurston's 1967 Epiphone Sheridan.

According to authorities, after getting tipped off about the pawn-shop sale—which led to the recovery of one guitar—investigators found the other four at Washington's residence after obtaining a search warrant and arrested him.

Talk about runnin' down a thief.

"I am extremely grateful to the Culver City Police Department for a job well done and touched by the outpouring of good wishes and concern from our fans and friends," said Petty in a statement on his website.

PHOTOS: 2012 Coachella Star Sightings