Van stolen from Everett’s Nursery in Monroe in broad daylight

Update: Van located in field behind Captain Ds.

Monroe Police Department confirms that the van belonging to Everett’s Florist and Nursery was stolen from the property between 1 and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017.

According to the incident report from MPD, a white man, of about 20 – 30 years of age, walked up to the florist shop off Spring Street pushing a bicycle and asked if they had an air pump for him to use to pump his tires. When they said they did not, he turned and walked out of the side door of the florist shop. Everybody assumed he had left the same way he arrived, but about 15 or 20 minutes later that they discovered that the van that had been parked next to the door he had exited out of was missing. The bicycle also was gone.

According to witnesses, the man was described as having shaggy dark hair, wearing a light colored shirt and carrying a dark book bag and that he looked like he could possibly be homeless. Police had responded to an earlier report of a homeless person sleeping behind the Shops at Breedlove and had run off that same person when he sleeping on a bench in front of Quality Foods. Although he did appear to vaguely match the description of the person thought to have driven off with the florist’s van, looking at it on the video of the incidents witnesses said they couldn’t be sure that it was the same person.

The keys had been left inside the van, along with the owners purse containing a driver’s license and credit cards.

The missing vehicle is described as a 2006 Dodge Caravan with Everett’s Florist stickers on the sides and back. The van has been placed on GCIC as stolen.