Teen heartbroken over theft of rare cello in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A young Bay Area musician is missing her rare cello that was stolen from a San Francisco parking garage and now the teen and her family are making an appeal for its return.

A 16-year-old is heartbroken over the theft of her beloved cello that was stolen from the back of her mother's SUV by two crooks. The theft was caught on security camera at the O'Farrell Street parking garage.

"The only thing in my head was, 'How could anyone do this?'" the young musician said. "A cello is obscure and large. What would you do with it?"

The video shows a female suspect rummaging through the SUV, taking some personal items from the front seat, while her male accomplice waits in the getaway car. The crime takes several minutes.

"We came back, and back window was smashed," the teen said.

The $8,500 handcrafted 2014 Emilio Stradella cello was gone. It is a Montagnana model with the serial number 1115 and comes from Roland Feller in San Francisco.

Police released still pictures of the cello thieves by the garage elevators.

Years of practice and performances with the Berkeley Youth Symphony made this much more than a hobby.

"The cello is important to me, gave me confidence, a way for me to express myself," the teen said.

Her mom made a plea to the thieves.

"We need the cello back, we won't ask questions," she said.

Police hope someone knows who these cello thieves are before they take their new act, out of town.