Citizens of Polk County…you are once again safe from the evil Plant Poacher of Davenport.
A detective recently solved this case in which a man was stealing plants used for landscaping at a golf community in the Four Corners area of Davenport. Hundreds of dollars of decorative beautiful bushiness were stolen during multiple thefts.
The big break came when the detective obtained visual evidence that showed the suspect and his vehicle of villainy—a black Ford F-150 pickup truck that had unique decals on the back window.
Could the suspect be from one of the neighboring communities along the US 27 corridor?
No. The perpetrator of the plant poaching was coming from within.
A detective located the F-150 in the driveway of a residence inside the golf community. Even more surprising, it was on the same street where the thefts occurred.
The detective couldn’t see inside the bed of the Ford pickup due to a bed cover, but he did see loose soil on the bumper and one single leaf that was consistent with the unique stolen foliage. Habeas podocarpus.
The detective made contact with the suspect at his front door, and the suspect refused to let him look under the bed cover. No worries though, a judge DID give the detective permission, and additional soil and podocarpus leaves were found within.
The man was arrested and taken to the Polk Pokey. He was charged with grand theft, criminal mischief (3-counts), and trespassing (3-counts).
