By all accounts, 27-year-old Eric Kohler loves what he does, producing visual effects for blockbusters like “The Avengers,” “San Andreas,” and “X-Men.”
But last Tuesday, he walked out of work in Gardena without his wallet, his laptop or his bag — and never came back.
Now his family is doing everything they can to find out what happened.
Night after night, Kohler’s desperate mother and father are posting fliers, hoping for any help in finding their missing son.
Kohler is an up-and-coming movie producer and his family said he is a workaholic and a responsible man who would never just disappear.
"I know my son would never do this," Sheryi Kohler said.
He was last seen leaving work, in the 1700 block of El Segundo Boulevard, last Tuesday in his new Range Rover. Phone records and surveillance video show he went to a Food 4 Less parking lot, but then soon after his phone appeared to have been turned off.
"And he literally disappeared,” said his father, Tony Kohler. “It's heartbreaking. It's damn heartbreaking."
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Kohler is originally from Oakley, in Northern California, and relocated to Los Angeles after high school. Kohler moved to Los Angeles to work in the movie industry. Kohler responded to an ad for a receptionist job and worked his way to become a visual effects producer at HYDRAULX.
Since his disappearance, friends and family said they have been in agony. The Thanksgiving holiday came and went without any sign. So did a huge project deadline at work — the kind Eric's parents say he would never miss.
"He had big ambition to work hard and that's what he's been doing and something bad happened," said his mother.
Tony Kohler said they are praying Eric just needed to get away but said there are too many red flags. Eric left his wallet, bags and computer behind. There has also been no activity in his accounts for days.
Kohler was last seen wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, blue skinny jeans, brown suede shoes and a brown leather, chrome-plated watch.
Anyone with information on Kohler’s disappearance is asked to call the LAPD Missing Person Unit at 213-996-1800. After hours, please call LAPD’s RACR Division at 213-484-6700.
