Northwood News ♦ October 2006

Watch Out for Plant Pilferers

By Sarah Stecher

On Monday, 21 August 2006, at 1:00 p.m., I noticed a car stop just past my neighbor’s house on the 10800 block of Margate Road.  There was no homeowner car in either the driveway or on the street.  A man got out, went to the door, and knocked.  Nobody was home, so he returned to the car.  I noticed he had a clipboard in his hand.  It seemed odd to me that he stopped there, though.  The next thing I saw, he had backed up into the driveway, opened his trunk, and was putting two very nice potted plants into the trunk.  The plants were not really visible from the street, although some pots could be seen through the shrubs in the yard.  The yard is nicely landscaped.

I called the owner, but could not get through on either work or cell phone numbers.  (We had old numbers... quick, now everyone update contact info with your neighbors!)  So I approached the man and said, “I can’t help but notice you are putting those plants in your trunk.” He was talking on his cell phone, doing his best to ignore me, and he said,”It’s okay, I talked to the guy.”

I turned and ran back to my house.  He lept in his car and drove off.  I didn’t think to catch his license plate before I went for the paper and pen, and he was gone even as I entered my door, so I missed it.

It appeared to me that he was driving around looking just for this opportunity, with a clipboard in hand in case someone answered the door.  Here are the details I did notice in case anyone else sees him:

• champagne colored, 4-door sedan; generic, clean looking car;
• Latino male, age 20-25;
• short dark hair (covered by a baseball cap);
• oval face, soft jaw line;
• no facial hair;
• height about 5'10" to 6';
• full figure, but not fat;
• white t-shirt, dark shorts, both loose and long.

My husband thinks his license may have had a 94 in it, but he didn’t get a good look either.  I learned a lesson that I’ll remember now.  Our former neighbor and friend, Leslie Boness, used to walk out with paper and pen in hand anytime there was someone she did not recognize at a house, and she made it very obvious she was noting the license plate number.  She would talk with the person, too, but she made sure they knew they were noticed and documented.  I’m sure he would not have taken anything if I had thought to do that first!

My neighbor called the police in the evening.  She was told to call back later.

[Editor’s Note:  Obviously, this is considered a low priority for police.  We will have to look out after each other when such petty thefts occur.  Please keep an eye on your neighbors’ homes and make note of any visitors.]   ■