Redmond police say a monthslong hunt for a serial guitar thief hit a high note on March 26, 2026, when officers arrested a suspect linked to a string of pricey instrument heists at Guitar Center locations up and down the West Coast. Detectives report that surveillance footage and pawn shop records tied the suspect to at least 15 pawn transactions and to a nearly $3,000 guitar stolen from the Redmond store in October 2025. The case is still active, and investigators believe other suspects may be out there.
How Detectives Traced the Instruments
According to a news release from the City of Redmond, detectives first tracked down the missing Redmond guitar at a local pawn shop. From there, they matched transaction records, surveillance video and Department of Licensing information, which they say led them to identify 34-year-old Armando Jacome Vignaud as the suspect tied to the thefts. Police also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the casework in a Facebook reel that walks viewers through how investigators followed the paper and video trail through pawn records.
Patchwork of Arrests and Online Sales
As reported by KIRO 7, Redmond’s investigation is just one piece of a broader pattern of thefts stretching across Washington, Oregon and California. The latest arrest follows a December case in which detectives used an online-listing sting to recover stolen guitars and other equipment. Police say crews often rely on distraction and concealment tactics, such as slipping guitars under oversized jackets, then rush to flip the gear through online marketplaces. Those repeated moves, investigators say, helped them connect incidents across multiple jurisdictions.
Retailers and Police Urged to Stay Vigilant
The Washington Retail Association has highlighted a similar multi-state operation and warned that coordinated theft crews can move high-value instruments quickly, which makes it much harder to get them back once they hit the resale market. Law enforcement partners and retailers alike stress that saving surveillance footage, keeping clean transaction records and closely monitoring resale listings can be the difference between a cold trail and a solved case.
Charges and Next Steps
Vignaud was arrested on March 26 and faces a charge of theft in the second degree, according to the City of Redmond release. “This arrest is what premier law enforcement looks like in practice,” Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe said in the statement. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Redmond Police Department at (425) 556-2500.
Redmond police say the investigation is ongoing as they work with other agencies to identify additional suspects, and they are especially interested in any tips or video that might show related thefts. Officers emphasize that community leads and watchful retailers are critical to disrupting organized retail theft operations and getting stolen gear back into the hands of its rightful owners, as KIRO 7 has previously noted.
