ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Residents in the Old Southeast St. Pete neighborhood say they’ve seen a string of thefts targeting mango trees, as the fruits start to ripen.
“Literally just ask,” said A Orsi, a resident of the neighborhood. “I mean isn’t that common decency? Taking is not asking. Taking is stealing.”
Orsi says she was devastated to learn this week that her prized mango tree, which was planted by her late mother, had been almost completely stripped of its fruit.
“It’s very upsetting that something that my parents had put on the property to help out their grandkids has been violated,” said Orsi. “And our space has been violated, so it doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies.”
Orsi says she thinks the suspect hit her tree multiple times. She says they even hid behind the branches to go undetected.
“Now I’m not feeling as safe as I could be in my own neighborhood,” said Orsi.
Orsi says it’s a disappointment to her – and to her children – who were all anxiously anticipating the fruit, after watching them grow for several weeks.
She ramped up security, adding fencing and hidden cameras, but Orsi’s tree isn’t the only one.
“I’m happy to share but the problem is that people are coming and taking everything off the tree,” said Pete Olivares, another resident of the neighborhood.
Multiple neighbors with fruit trees say they’ll often turn a blind eye to someone who doesn’t have anything else to eat.
“It’s not because they’re hungry,” said Olivares. “If they’re hungry they’ll probably take one or two. We think they’re probably reselling them.”
Orsi filed a report with St. Pete police. Officials said they are investigating the crime as a misdemeanor petty theft.
Orsi says unfortunately her tree is done producing for the season, so she’ll have to wait until next year to see her tree fruit again.
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