One North Vancouver woman was left uprooted after a brazen early-morning tree theft last week.
Two Japanese maple trees were stolen from a Mahon Avenue front yard earlier this week – leaving homeowner Milan Vertone shocked by both the theft and the ease with which the crook hauled off $400 worth of trees.
A neighbour witnessed the theft but did not confront the red-handed green thumb, only telling Vertone the trees were gone eight hours after the crime. Given the bustling nature of the block at 8:30 a.m. on a weekday, Vertone said she was shocked no one tried to intervene.
According to her neighbour, a man approximately 55 walked into Vertone’s yard, wiggled the trees back and forth before ripping them out and walking down the road with the two Japanese maples. “There’s no activity in my yard ever where that would even seem like a normal thing,” she said.
Adding to her chagrin was the fact the thief apparently damaged one of the trees before hauling the two maples away.
“There was one maple, I guess he couldn’t get the root of it, so he inadvertently snapped it, which is like murdering a tree,” she said.
Vertone canvassed her neighbours that night with the maple remnants in hand, hoping she could jog a memory. She’s trying to heal the fractured tree, but the prognosis seems doubtful, Vertone said. “We’re trying to revive it but it’s essentially ruined.”
Approximately four-feet tall, the delicate, not-yet-lush adolescents are the colour of “light Bordeaux,” according to Vertone. Although they required constant care, the trees were a point of pride for Vertone.
“People knocked on my door and said how nice it looked and loved the Japanese maples,” she said. “Everything was just peachy keen.”
However, the theft changed the way Vertone thinks about her neighbourhood. “I know if I saw that (theft) I would go and approach the person,” she said. “If you see someone digging up trees and walking down the street, probably that might be something where you should phone the police.”
There was a substantial delay in the report of the crime, noted North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Cpl Richard De Jong.
While it’s unusual, it’s “still a crime,” De Jong said.
While it would be difficult to identify replanted trees, De Jong is hopeful a neighbour will step forward to help police with the investigation.
Residents are reminded to call 911 if they witness a crime in progress or if a criminal is likely still in the area.
