Crime & Safety
Missing East Bay Native, Hollywood Producer Turns Up
Eric Kohler was found in La Paz, Mexico and LAPD has closed the case, but his family believes the photo of him in Mexico was a hoax.
A 27-year-old visual effects producer, who drove away from work in Gardena 10 days ago and was reported missing, is in Mexico voluntarily, despite contrary claims by a family member, police said Friday.
“Detectives from the Missing Persons Unit reviewed information provided to them and have determined that Mr. Eric Kohler is currently in the city of La Paz, Mexico, and is no longer considered a missing person,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
Kohler is considered a “voluntary missing person,” Officer Jane Kim said, adding that police have “reliable information to substantiate the claim that Mr. Kohler is in La Paz, Mexico,” Kim said.
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His family members are in contact with the detective who has investigated the case, and he has explained the situation to them. Kim said.
Earlier Friday, before police announced that Kohler was no longer considered involuntarily missing, his sister Kristina Loren, posted to Facebook that photos showing her brother and two women in La Paz were a hoax.
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“It is very unfortunate that the local news and other media outlets are running stories that are NOT true. We have not located Eric! he is not in La Paz Mexico, that photo was a hoax,” she wrote.
“The authorities are working very hard to find Eric! Please try to understand how deeply agonizing this is for us, we just want Eric to be found and to come home.”
The man who took the photos told The Huffington Post that the man in the images acknowledged his identity and said he did not wish to be found.
Family, friends and police had sought the public’s help to find Kohler, who drove away from work in the 1700 block of El Segundo Boulevard in his new black Range Rover without his wallet or other personal effects on Nov. 24.
Kohler produced visual effects for such movies as “The Avengers,” “San Andreas” and “X-Men.”
The concerns of relatives who haven’t heard from their loved one are understandable, “but unfortunately we can’t force him to come forward,” Kim said.
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