STOLEN TREE, need your help

..to identify the thief. I hope you understand I am posting in this section. Anyone know the guy?

This large bonsai landscape was stolen yesterday in Ft. Myers FLorida. It was a welcoming piece for our Annual Show. The owner is Tony Stewart.
Be on the lookout and contact the police if someone tries to sell it to you. The trees are Brazilian raintrees.










http://www.news-press.com/article/20111003/CRIME/111003025/Deputies-search-Bonsai-Bandit-who-stole-tree-from-Election-Center?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

I soooooo hope they catch this guy. This is bull.

what a shame. as much as I get discouraged by this sort of thing the more i have to remind myself of all the GOOD people out there. There's a lot of truth to the current mentality that what goes around comes around. They'll get this guy!

WOW! Just walks in, picks up the tree, and walks out...Unbelievable.

Thing is I cruise Ebay every night for trees. I hope he's stupid enough to post it up for sale.

Got the thief on surveillance video and he doesn't seem to be wearing much of a disguise.
Hope this helps net him.

I pray he gets what he deserves!

Man, that sucks...hope they catch the scumbag and recover the tree(s) in good shape.

Great that it's on video - have the photos been distributed to local media? I'm curious as to whether local TV/newspapers/etc consider stolen bonsai important enough to rate publication.

Chris

Sub-human creatures like this are disgusting. With so much visual images, I will be very surprice if the bonsai community don't get him. He deserve shame and punishment to discourage others from doing the same.
CJ

Keep an eye on Craigslist.com. While this selection didn't pop up, there are several bonsai listed in the Ft. Meyers area.

CAUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/article/214084/58/Bonsai-Bandit-caught-in-Fort-Myers

Bloody Brilliant

Brett Summers wrote:Bloody Brilliant

..and bloody brilliant. Someone recognized the guy and called him in. Tree was at the house.

-dorothy

WONDERFUL!!!!

Good thing the tree is still intact.

YAY! Made my night!

Awesome! In fact, bloody awesome!

Chris

As Ms Gump used to say "Stupid is as stupid does"...and that guy looks pretty stupid . He deserves everything coming to him and I hope the courts in Fort Meyers take this seriously. Congrats to the owner.

Thank God!!!!

dorothy7774 wrote:CAUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/article/214084/58/Bonsai-Bandit-caught-in-Fort-Myers

great news. If they found the tree inside his house plus the video then conviction is inevitable.

"This isn't just a crime against our club," Lignelli said. "This is a crime against society, all of us who are now deprived of enjoying a thing of beauty."

Fantastic!! I had dinner with Erik Wigert (from that club) the night the forest was stolen and we were lamenting that it would probably never be found. So glad that the thief was caught and the Bonsai returned! I guess it's a lesson to us all to look out at shows for each other.

That is so cool. How often do we hear such decent news.

It will be interesting to see the punishment. He's facing a grand theft felony but if he is a first time offender I bet he gets no jail time.

Fantastic news, Just got my day off to a great start :-) What does a grand theft felony usually result in in the US?

Ian Young wrote:Fantastic news, Just got my day off to a great start :-) What does a grand theft felony usually result in in the US?

not sure if its the chair........or lethal injection................

this story proves the benefit if CCTV though - it gives instant leads and evidence. i bet he would never have been caught without the film

So good to hear that. Great news!

That guy is really gutsy, but how come that the place is open at that wee hours of the night and without any personnel guarding the place? I'm thinking of an inside job as the way he entered the place and carried the trees was very casual.
Jolz