The State - News from Dec. 20, 1985

A stolen violin believed crafted by Antonio Stradivari was handed over to Santa Rosa authorities by a convicted burglar when he appeared in court for sentencing. The instrument, bearing the master violin maker’s name and taken from the home of a woman whose grandfather was a professional violinist, was surrendered by Jack Hartley, 21, a member of a ring that traded stolen goods for drugs. Hartley was ordered to undergo a 90-day diagnostic study at Vacaville Medical Facility prior to final sentencing. The violin’s owner, Carolyn Putkari, and her husband were so disturbed by the theft that they moved from Santa Rosa to Lake County.