'They're Not There' Doorbell Camera Captures Plant Poacher In Action

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Only on 2.

A plant poacher was caught on camera.

Video shows a lady stealing two big planters from the front of someone's house.

Now people in a Chicago neighborhood are banding together to catch the green-thumbed thief.

CBS 2's Steven Graves reports from the southwest side where he spoke to the owner of those pilfered plants.

Those plants were big and they were snatched from the front porch. As petty as this sounds, it was a costly crime. And it's a growing concern.

For a community rooted in its pride of foliage and flowers..

"Here I am, trying to beautify my home..."

A problem is blossoming that neighbors wish would die off.

"I just couldn't understand it," said a neighbor named Mary.

On Monday, when the sun had barely come up, Hector Gonzalez did his usual routine of watering his plants.

"I'm walking towards the front with my watering can and they're not there!"

Confused, he checked video from the Doorbell camera at his home on S. Mayfield and 61st.

That's when the plant poacher showed up.

"Looks like she was just shopping, basically. She had not a care in the world."

You can see the woman pick up one pot and load it into her car. She walks up again, carries the second one, and drives off, getting away with $130 worth of plants and pots.

"Why would someone just nonchalantly just walk up to a porch and steal these beautiful plants," asked Mary.

Rhonda Castillo, an assistant manager at a Chicago plant shop,said one can only guess, after talking to customers with similar complaints.

"I'd assume it was for a landscaper based off of what was being stolen," said Castillo. "These things that were kind of pricey and fairly tall."

People have been reporting stolen plants to her since last year, at least 20 times.

"My boss just told me yesterday someone came in about a stolen plant."

Last week, CBS 2 showed video of a man stealing plants from a rose garden in Lakeview. And the man has done it before.

Gonzalez said some Facebook detectives believe another woman has as well.

"That they always see her stealing people's property," Gonzalez said.

Neighbors are now on plant patrol, for a petty crime, causing growing frustrations.

Chicago police said they have not caught that woman. They say call 311 if it happens to you.

As for Gonzalez, several neighbors replaced his stolen plants.