German man returns 100,000€ violin stolen from Munich train

A violin worth 100,000 euros (112,800 dollars) stolen from a commuter train in the southern German city of Munich in April has been returned, police said Saturday.

The 35-year-old man who took the musical instrument turned himself in to police on Friday after the incident caused a media uproar.

Security camera footage showed the man taking the violin that had been left behind by a female musician on a train in April.

Police retrieved the violin and accessories worth a total of 120,000 euros following a search of the man's flat. He claimed that he had no idea of the instrument's value, police said.

When he saw the violin sitting on the train, he simply "exploited the opportunity," he said.

A friend told him later that he was the subject of a manhunt and that his picture had been made public.

He now faces charges of theft and fraud.

The owner of the violin had been informed of its retrieval on Saturday morning and she was able inspect the undamaged article at the police station.

She was not able to take the valuable object home as it was being held by the public prosecutor.