'It became a part of me': Guitar stolen from Winnipeg coffee house returned

An upsetting story of a stolen guitar from a Winnipeg coffee house has a happy ending thanks to a good deed from a pawn shop.

Last week, Allison Slessor, the owner of Modern Coffee in Winnipeg's North End, said a guitar was stolen from the business in the middle of the night.

For Slessor this wasn't just any guitar, she said it was a guitar for the community. When people would come into the coffee house, many would ask to play it and it was special to her business.

"The day before it was stolen I had someone come in and they sat down and started playing it. Then eventually they asked if they could plug it in and play and then we had like an hour and a half of really good music," said Slessor.

Slessor said the guitar, a Fender Stratocaster from Australian Tash Sultana, was something she knew she had to have when it was first released.

She said she saved up to finally purchase it and Slessor noted it's the perfect guitar for Modern Coffee with its red and gold design.

"It became a part of me … so when something like that gets taken away, it hurts."

Slessor believes whoever broke into the coffee house last week, specifically went there to steal the guitar, noting the person on her security camera is seen going straight to the guitar after they got into the building.

"They didn't even look around. They just went straight to the guitar and grabbed it."

However, just before being interviewed by CTV News, Slessor said police stopped by—with her guitar in hand.

CTV News learned the guitar ended up being brought into Economy Pawn. The owner recognized the guitar after seeing the story shared online and knew he had to buy it so it could be returned to the original owner.

He didn't want to be interviewed, but said he was happy to do the good deed.

"I was hoping for it (to be returned) but I didn't want to be too hopeful, because what are the chances that you actually get something back," said Slessor, adding she is over the moon with it being returned.

She said she will continue to have the guitar in the coffee house during the day so people can enjoy it but at night it will be coming home with her.

"I'm not letting it stop. I'm not letting this instance stop me from what I want to do."