Man finds valuable stolen instrument on Craigslist, returns it to police

David Mann by David Mann

It’s citizenship at its best.

A man returned a $5,000 instrument that was stolen from a Richland park over a year ago after finding it for sale on Craigslist, according to a Facebook post Monday.

Jason Watson said he found the yellow marimba for sale in Richland for $20. It had been stolen from Howard Amon Park in 2016.

Watson said he recognized the instrument, bought it before anyone else could and turned it into the Richland Police Department.

“I told them everything I knew,” he said.

Police said he returned the instrument in October, but he wasn’t able to share the good news until February because the case was under investigation. He said police were unfortunately met with a dead end.

“I can’t wait to see this thing back where it belongs,” Watson wrote.

In the comments of his post, his peers are calling him a hero.

“Super hero!” one person said.

Watson is currently an arts commissioner with the City of Kennewick.