Police in a Sydney, Australia suburb tracked down what they called an “audacious arborist” who stole a rare tree and fled on a bicycle.
The suspect was captured on camera digging up and removing a rare Blood Dragon Tree from the front yard of a home in Box Hill, located northwest of Sydney in the province of New South Wales, on Sept. 25.
According to The Hills Police Area Command, the local law enforcement body, Blood Dragon Trees are known for their striking appearance and rarity; they are said to be a “popular choice of feature plant in homes and gardens across Australia.”
Also possessing a striking appearance was the suspect who was caught stealing the tree, police said; he was seen in a “fluorescent yellow tradesman shirt” and used a bicycle as his getaway vehicle.
“Witnesses describe the suspect as having a unique sense of style and a questionable choice of getaway vehicle,” police said in their original post advising of the tree theft. “The suspect was seen pedaling away with the tree in tow, leaving behind a trail of dirt and bewildered onlookers.”
A senior police constable investigating the case commented at the time that the public should be on the lookout for anyone trying to sell a Blood Dragon Tree or “someone with an unusually green thumb.”
Six days later, “The Great Blood Dragon Tree Heist” was solved when the plant was located at a nearby residence.
No details were revealed as to how police were able to locate the tree, but local authorities said they were happy to bring the tree back to “its original hole.”
“It’s not every day you get to solve a case and do a bit of gardening at the same time,” another senior police constable investigating the case said.
The unidentified suspect will be issued a notice to appear in court, police said.
Officers advised residents that they can now “breathe a sigh of relief” knowing that the tree is back, but they did ask for them to keep a look out for suspicious activity, especially if it involves “bicycles and botanical banditry.”