Thieves in Mukwonago, Wis., are, believe it or not, stealing shrubbery.
Where a bush used to be, thieves dug the plants right out of the ground, and police say it's happening all over the area.
Elsie Roth was busy landscaping her new condo, when she woke up the next morning and learned her newly planted trees, shrubs and flowers had been dug up and stolen.
“Just a little bit surprised. This is something unusual. I don’t know of any other time someone has taken landscaping out of the ground right after it's been planted,” Roth said.
Police found 25 holes all around Roth’s condo complex. She says all together, the thieves stole over $2,500 worth of trees and shrubs.
Roth isn't alone. Mukwonago police say several homes all around the area have been targeted. The thieves took lawn ornaments, flowers, bushes, and in some cases, even trees.
"In the years I’ve been here, we've never had a rash of thefts of this kind,” Mukwonago Police Lt. Kevin Schmidt said.
At first, police thought it could be a teenage prank, but not anymore, because of exactly what the thieves are taking, and how they're doing it.
"This could be somebody doing their own yard or a landscaper trying to save some money or make a little more profit,” Lt. Schmidt said.
As for who did it, Roth says… "I simply have no idea.”
Even though the thieves stole her shrubbery, Roth won't let them steal her hopes of having a beautiful walkway.
"We're going to re-plant within the next week or so,” Roth said.