Two world-celebrated musicians – fiddler Alasdair Fraser and cellist Natalie Haas – got a devastating dose of the dark side of Portland this week when they returned to their rental car to find someone had broken into it. Gone were Fraser’s violin and four bows, Haas’ cello, both of their suitcases and handwritten notes on sheet music for their next album.
The pair, who respectively live in California and Spain, had arrived in town Monday – a day before their performance at the Alberta Rose Theatre – in order to have some extra time to enjoy the city. That came to an abrupt end when they embarked on a new mission to try to get back their treasured stolen possessions.
Though property crimes overall – including burglary, vandalism and stolen cars – in Portland are down more than 10% over the past year, thefts of property – including car break-ins – are up 20%. Many victims never recover their possessions.
But Fraser’s and Haas’ efforts appear to be paying off – to some degree. Haas had to fly back to Spain, but not before she recovered her cello from a man who said he bought it from the alleged thief for just $40.
And Fraser said he thinks he’s gaining traction. He’s extended his Portland stay so he can question potential witnesses and plaster posters around downtown. He believes he’s identified the apartment building where the prime suspect lives and gained a description of the man. He said he’s shared that information with Portland police.
Alasdair Fraser has posted this flyer around downtown Portland in hopes it will help lead to the return of his and Natalie Haas' stolen possessions.Courtesy of Alasdair Fraser
Portland police confirmed that they’ve taken a report, but a spokesperson didn’t answer questions about the extent to which officers might investigate.
“I’m just covering the bases, hoping I can spring something loose,” Fraser said. “There are so many layers to this.”
Fraser and Haas said their ordeal began after they arrived in Portland Monday morning. Since it was too early to check into their Airbnb, they chose a parking garage at Southwest 10th Avenue and Taylor Street – owned by City Center Parking – figuring it would be safe for a few daylight hours. The pair say they won’t make that mistake again. After a breakfast at The Daily Feast and a trip to Powell’s Books, they discovered their rental car windows shattered and the contents cleared out.
They tracked an Apple Airtag in one of their suitcases to Shemanski Park one block from the garage, where they found Fraser’s suitcase, mostly empty. While Haas headed to the Police Bureau to report the crime, Fraser stuck around and canvassed the area, talking to everyone he saw. Though Haas’ suitcase wasn’t anywhere to be found, a man voluntarily handed over a jacket and her insulin, which had been packed in Haas’ luggage.
But the biggest development of all was Haas getting her cello back.
Haas and Fraser say a man who had identified himself as the cello’s buyer had called Haas’ phone number after finding it on a United Airlines baggage tag that was still attached to the cello case. The buyer told them that he had a change of heart about keeping the instrument, needed to set a good example for his young son and wanted only to return it.
He met them on a street corner, just one block from the parking garage. When Fraser offered to pay the man, he said he wouldn’t accept any cash for ultimately doing what was right.
“I was in shock,” Haas said. “I just couldn’t believe that within this seedy world there are good people still.”
Not everyone has been helpful, though. Fraser said after he approached one man, the man asked him if he was offering a reward.
“I said ‘Before we talk about a reward, I want to know if you have any of my stuff.’ And then he just left,” Fraser recalled.
But both Haas and Fraser also have been buoyed by a network of Facebook followers from around the world, including those who volunteered to contact Portland area pawn shops to be on the lookout for their belongings and scour online marketplaces such as eBay for the stolen items in coming days and weeks, if need be. Meanwhile, some locals lent Fraser two violins so Tuesday night’s show could go on.
“Many people are embarrassed by the image of their hometown,” Fraser said. “I get that. We’ve been traveling for many, many, many years and this hardly ever happens. We love Portland. …The showing of support has been huge.”
Fraser declined to pin a monetary value on the missing items. There is a dollar value, he said, but the emotional value far exceeds that.
“Trying to replace that stuff that you’ve collected all of your life?” Fraser said. “You don’t really find replacements off the shelf.”
Fraser, who was born and raised in Scotland, particularly misses a 19th-century French bow that has traveled around the globe with him since the early 1980s, around the time he moved to California and started his musical career.
Fraser and Haas have been playing together for more than 20 years.
Haas said losing the contents of her suitcase – including her eye glasses, vintage clothing, handmade shoes and Christmas presents she bought while on tour – was like losing “a good chunk of my worldly goods.”
But has the experience soured her on Portland?
“On the downtown area, yes. I don’t want to spend any more time there anymore,” Haas said. “But I still love Portland. It has some of my favorite things – great food, great coffee, great vintage shops. It’s just sad to see what has become of the downtown area.”
-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee