Fort Worth tree store robbed with estimated loss of $10,000. Owners share video of thieves
A family-owned and -operated small plants business in Fort Worth has been robbed twice in the last couple of months with an estimated loss of $10,000, a manager said.
The Tree Place nursery, located at 5625 I-20 in southeast Fort Worth, was initially robbed on Sep. 12. The business filed a report with police and provided them with video evidence but did not hear back, Operations Manager Matthew Hafkesbring said.
The store was robbed again on Oct. 12, and video surveillance shows that two people without face coverings entered around midnight and were inside for about an hour.
The two suspects hopped the fence and proceeded to grab plants from around the nursery and stuff them in their car, the video shows.
In addition to the video surveillance, the staff found a cellphone that may belong to the thieves, Hafkesbring said. Police showed up to investigate on Nov. 6 and have obtained a search warrant for the cellphone, he said.
“You know, we’re a small business. We can only take so much, and then you throw that on top, it’s our livelihood,” Hafkesbring said. “So you have people coming in and stealing from us. It takes away from that. So it’s a lot of different emotions. I would say it’s frustrating, it’s scary, it’s upsetting.”
As a preventive measure they are going to put up an additional, taller fence and extra security cameras, Hafkesbring said. The thieves targeted smaller plants, which are easier to carry; the store is going to be more selective on what merchandise it displays near the highway, he said.
“If somebody’s gonna steal from you, they’re gonna steal from you, no matter what you do,” Hafkesbring said. “I think it’s great to kind of get the word out there and get these people caught, and then hopefully make some people think twice before they come in.”