Police in New Brunswick investigate theft of abstract painting worth $5,000

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GRAND-BARACHOIS, N.B. – Police in eastern New Brunswick say they haven’t seen an art heist like this before.

The RCMP said Wednesday that a man visited Romeo Savoie, a well-known Acadian painter, at his home in Barachois and walked off with one of his works on May 14.

Sgt. Paul Ouellette said a well-dressed man who said he was linked to the University of Moncton approached Savoie and asked to buy one of his paintings. Savoie gave him the painting on the condition he come back the next day with payment — but he never returned.

“The victim was led to believe he represented an organization that he’s worked with in the past,” he said.

“So someone conned him into having the painting turned over and just decided not to pay him.”

The painting, called “Eventail,” is on a square canvas that measures 1.2 metres by 1.2 metres.

Ouellette said they have distributed small images of the painting by Savoie, an award-winning abstract artist and writer from Moncton who has shown his work in New Brunswick, Quebec and the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris.

He was not available for comment Wednesday, but Ouellette said he told police this has never happened to him before.

Ouellette said the nature of the alleged theft was one he hadn’t seen before.

“Very unusual for us — we’ve had thefts of paintings before, but normally they would come as a result of a break and enter,” he said.

“We’ve never had anyone use this type of MO.”

He said they have no leads in the case.

The suspect is described as white, between 25 and 35 years old with short dark hair and about 5-9 with a medium build.

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