Broward nursery owners seek help identifying women caught on camera stealing over $1,000 worth of merchandise

The owners of a plant nursery in Davie are asking for the public's help in identifying two women they say stole merchandise from their business after hours in incidents caught on surveillance cameras.

The owners of Zensations Garden, who have run the business for 12 years, estimate that about $1,000 worth of plants and other items were taken. They first noticed items missing, then reviewed surveillance footage, which showed two women entering the property after closing time and taking items without paying.

The incidents occurred within about a month of each other.

"We started checking all the surveillance, and we found the people coming in and stealing our plants, bonsai, and statues. Anything they wanted," said co-owner Elsa Almenara.

Surveillance video from March 8 around 9 p.m. shows one woman walking around the property for about 20 minutes, picking up items. On April 5, shortly after 10 p.m., another woman was seen on camera walking around the business for about 30 minutes, browsing plants.

"No nervousness, no hesitation. Nothing. They were just picking, and if they didn't like it, they'd put it back," Almenara said of the second incident. She added, "Anything they wanted. They just came in like doing a Publix buying in a single day".

The nursery owners said that while the community and their customers have rallied around them, they still feel violated. They have posted photos of the alleged thieves around their business in hopes of identifying them.

"It's frustrating that you have to work and try to make this business thrive in the community," Almenara said. "And worst of all is seeing that not anybody came in but people that could have come here as regular clients and made a peek at our things".

The Davie Police Department confirmed it is investigating the two incidents but declined further comment due to the ongoing investigation.