Tampa Auto Mechanic Company Big Mechanic made an amazing discovery in the back of a pickup truck. A Dodge Ram showed up unattended and unlocked at one of the mechanic’s Tampa locations two days ago. In the trunk were a Picasso and a Matisse believed to have been stolen from the Kunsthal museum (located in Rotterdam in the Netherlands) in October.
Big Mechanic spokesman Stephen Bukowski said, “We found the truck unattended yesterday morning in the back of our lot. Since it was locked, one of our technicians checked the bed just to see if there might be any identifying information to locate the owner so we wouldn’t have to tow it. He of course never expected to find millions of dollars in artwork, but that’s apparently what he found.”
Tampa Police called in an art historian to identify the paintings. Amir Rao, a professor at the University of South Florida, said that he was “shocked” when he saw the paintings. According to Rao, “You’d never expect to see a painting like that in the back of a pickup truck. I guess the police are awaiting confirmation from the Dutch museum officials to determine if they might be counterfeits, but they look to me like the real thing.”
The Dodge Ram is registered to a deceased person, which leads Tampa Police to believe the truck was stolen. “We are still attempting to locate who was last driving the vehicle, because obviously that’s a crucial clue to solving this case,” explains an insider with the Tampa Police, speaking under condition of anonymity. “I can’t disclose anything else, because I’m dedicated to catching the perpetrator.”
Big Mechanic has been in business since 1972. It’s website is www.bigmechanic.com
Image Resource: Art Konovalov / Shutterstock.com
Tampa Auto Repair Company Discovers Missing Masterpieces in Car Trunk
Posted on Dec 10, 2012 by +Steve Wrench
