Robber caught on camera breaking into North Austin garden store four times

Austin, Texas – A garden store in North Austin says they’ve been robbed four times in the past two months.

A store called Garden Seventeen says they lost about $50,000, not including recent damage when a suspect tried to steal their coffee trailer.

Garden Seventeen opened in June 2020. They survived the pandemic, the 2021 freeze, and now there are four hacks.

“It was a tough three years. The surrounding community was amazing,” said owner Rodney Stoutenger.

The first two times in January, the suspect could be seen using carts and grow pots to collect materials.

In early February, he returned to business, stealing a forklift and then abandoning it. He also left with more tools.

Stoutenger says he appreciates the police reaction, but would like to do more to catch the suspect.

“I wish there was a little less bureaucracy. The forklift only travels at 8 mph, their protocol was to search the property and I feel like their paths would have crossed. He was only four blocks from home when he abandoned the forklift,” Stoutenger said.

He says the suspect seems to be taking his time.

“He takes his time until the business owner calls 911,” he said.

“It’s a forklift, so now we have to dismantle the propane tank every time we close it and don’t use it so he doesn’t steal it,” he said. “It’s the gates and alarm blocks that he’s broken several times, you can see the new welding and stuff on the lock.”

On February 20, a suspect tried to steal a coffee trailer but was unable to get over the hill and abandoned it, but it is still damaged.

“None of the products or machines were travel-proof, so we lost a bit there,” Stoutenger said.

Other businesses in the area also suffered, he said.

Regarding his message to the suspect, he says: “I would hire him at this point, he is efficient, he is efficient in what he does, you know what I mean. Actually, I understand it. need, I can understand that. Just ask for help… at some point we have to earn a living too.”

He says he and his team keep their phones on for any warnings.

“We sleep on the edge. In fact, we do not get enough sleep all night,” he said.

He says they’ve added more cameras, more lights, accidentally turned on alarm sounds at night, and take turns monitoring the security cameras.

“Just ask for help if you need it, but otherwise leave us alone, I’m tired,” he said.

Stoutenger says either a police report or a 311 report was filed for each case.

“These cases have been turned over to detectives and the investigation is ongoing. We have identified a person of interest. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the Department has no further information about these incidents,” the APD said in a statement.

According to Austin 311, “All requests for APD’s non-emergency services are sent to APD immediately after a service request is submitted.”