Tri-City Mystery: What Happened to These Paintings?

Roger Kabler is an artist who creates original oil paintings on commission. His home and studio is in Massachusetts, but he’s spending a couple of months in Southern California. Before leaving home, he shipped two paintings to his temporary location—a landscape that needed some finishing touches before being sent to the buyer in Norway, and a painting of two children commissioned by a Southern California resident. Kabler planned to present the painting to the buyer while here.

The paintings didn’t arrive in Southern California when expected. Kabler checked the tracking on the paintings and was shocked to learn that the last known location of the artwork was Fremont, hundreds of miles from the intended destination.

“This has never happened before,” Kabler said of the loss. The paintings were shipped through the US Postal Service, which Kabler called very consistent with previous deliveries. “The USPS has been perfect up until now,” according to Kabler with tracking, insurance and other protections.

According to the tracking for the missing paintings, the shipment went to an industrial park on May 29. No one there knows anything about the paintings.

Fremont Police and USPS Inspectors are investigating the matter but, so far, have come up empty.

Kabler says he does “the very best I can for my client” and simply wants his paintings back.

If you can solve this mystery, phone Fremont Police at (510) 790-6900.

--Images courtesy Roger Kabler