The latest twist in the bizarre story of the lost Corot story gets even more bizarre, according to the New York Post. The painting was found by a doorman a few blocks away in the bushes. The doorman is named Franklin Puentes:
Puentes, who first stored the painting in his locker, said he immediately suspected the painting belonged to one of his well-heeled tenants and tried for days to locate its rightful owner. After coming up blank, he said he took it home. When friends gazed at the impressive addition to Puentes’ gallery, they told him it appeared pretty valuable, sources said. He researched it and last Sunday discovered that it was at the center of a legal storm that included a lawsuit and federal criminal charges. He brought it that day to the 19th Precinct station house and turned it over to surprised cops. […]
“The doorman brought it in to the 19th Precinct at 3 p.m. on Sept. 12,” said a law enforcement source. “He found the paiting at the end of July. He doesn’t know the date. He went away on a three week vacation and stored the painting in his locker at the building where he works. He says he found it outside the building. His story is definitely weird. It doesn’t make sense.”
Doorman Delivers Lost Art (NY Post)
