Man steals plants, flowers from woman's Miami garden

Nancy Vega's orchid that took 2 years to grow among plants stolen

MIAMI – A South Florida woman was outraged after a man was captured on her home surveillance video pulling up plants from her prized garden.

"First he puts his bike down and walks around like, 'What am I gonna have today?'" Nancy Vega said. 

The plant pilferer hit Vega's house in Miami twice in 30 days.

"He has taken orchids, he has taken rose bushes, which he pulled out of the planters. He has taken wind chimes," Vega said. 

Vega said the thief even stole the nozzle from the end of the hose, and some solar lights, but only the newer ones.

The final shovel in the garden lover’s heart was that he took her beloved orchid that took two years to flower. 

Vega talked to that plant every day.

"You are beautiful. Please keep growing. You are doing good. Keep going," Vega would say. 

The video shows the thief is an older man with noticeably gray hair.

Vega posted her doorbell video on her Neighbors app, and soon, other residents were saying they noticed stuff missing, too.

The home has warnings posted all over, but the man didn't seem to care.

Vega hopes putting him on TV gets him to stop smelling the roses in her garden and keeps the pest away for good.