SAN FRANCISCO -- A distraught San Francisco music student pleaded for the public's help Thursday after a rare violin, worth $175,000 and built in the 1700s by famed Italian craftsman Nicolo Gagliano, was stolen from the trunk of her car.

Sabina Nakajima said the rare instrument was in the trunk of her car when she drove to work on Wednesday and parked in a Safeway parking lot at Geary and Turk. She had planned to head over to the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music for an after work practice session.

"I came out four hours later and my car had been towed," she said.

Nakajima tracked down her car to Golden Gate Tow's lot, but when she claimed it, she was in for a stunning surprise.

"My car didn't look like it had been broken into," she said. "There's no broken windows and I'm sure I had locked the car."

Nakajima found that her wallet and iPod had been taken from inside the car. When she popped the trunk, her heart sunk. The violin -- lent to her by a dealer to try out -- was gone.

"It is currently owned by a prominent violinist who is retiring and trying to sell it," she said.

The tow yard owners told Nakajima that they had no idea where the violin was. The San Francisco Police told KTVU on Thursday they were investigating the case.

The violin -- which was being handled by a San Francisco dealer -- was insured by its owner. Shops around the country that deal with violins were also being alerted to the theft of the rare instrument.

Meanwhile, Nakajima remained stunned by the theft.

"This violin would have been the last violin I would have ever bought in my career," said a visibly upset Nakajima. "It's my livelihood."