Police announced the arrest todayof a man who yanked a full grown shrub out of a Northeast Philadelphia front yard.
Joseph Medycki, 40, of the 1100 block of Vincent Street, will face theft charges for unlawful taking and receiving stolen property for the April 30 incident.
According to police, Medycki turned himself in after home video surveillance was widely circulated on Facebook (see below) showing Medyckiwalking up to a home on the 8000 block of Agusta Street around 2 p.m.and casually uprooting a pompom-style shrub. Medycki, who lived just two miles from the site of the robbery, is then seen tossing the bush into the back of a pickup truck filled with other greenery and driving away.
One Greensgrow employee guesstimated the resale value of the shrub at upwards of $25, while avid gardeners said $35 to $50.