Smash-And-Grab Thief Steals Musician's Prized Horns

(CBS) – It's a sad song for a Chicago musician who has played thousands of concert halls, including Carnegie Hall.

His livelihood was taken when his prize instruments were stolen, CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports.

Two weeks ago, while sweating out to yoga, someone on the 1700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue broke into a vehicle and grabbed Ryan Berndt's big leather case.

"I guarantee when they opened up and saw three instruments they were probably like, 'Jackpot,'" Berndt says.

He now plays a loaner.

Berndt estimates the value of the stolen instruments at $14,000. But the memories he generated with them are priceless.

His muse was a 60-year-old flugelhorn. For 16 years, they'd conquer the treacherous high A.

He's sent out more than 100 detailed fliers to pawn shops and scoured online.

"They still don't know what they have. I guarantee it," Berndt says.

Nor how much they're missed.

"Just makes you sad," he says.