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Most recently, burglars stole two chickens, including one well-loved by the community and named “Marshmallow.”
STOCKTON, Calif. — A Stockton nursery is facing frustration after a string of break-ins and vandalism this month, leaving owners hundreds of dollars out of pocket during what is typically a slow season.
From flowers and plants to trees and even coffee, In Season Nursery is full of surprises. But for owner Tina Candelo-Maiz, the biggest crowd-pleasers are her chickens.
“A lot of people come just to see the chickens,” said Candelo-Maiz. “One, they produce eggs and then we sell those eggs and then the other part of it is, they’re part of our pest control, so they eat a lot of caterpillars and a lot of flies and other bugs, so they keep our insect population down here and then we also give them all of our scraps.”
The flock, once 15 strong, is now at 13.
“(Thursday night), two of our chickens were stolen,” said Candelo-Maiz. “One of the ones that was taken was actually one of our favorites; her name is Marshmallow. She was a little silky, puffy and white—like a marshmallow.”
The theft of Marshmallow and her friend marks only the latest in a string of break-ins. Candelo-Maiz says she’s counted five in about six weeks, with thieves stealing items like pots and roses.
“As the days go on, each week we come in and we notice things just look a little more weird, finding things moved, pots were moved, and then whole areas where we had pots just empty,” said Candelo-Maiz. “Up to $800 worth of property missing.”
Many of the incidents have occurred along a chain-link fence at the back of the property, near an abandoned truck on Euclid Avenue that appears to provide cover.
“I called the police yesterday, and they informed me I should just make a report online,” said Candelo-Maiz. “So I did that.”
While law enforcement investigates, Candelo-Maiz has felt the support of the local community.
“There’s been a great outpouring of support, and people have a lot of suggestions on what to do,” said Candelo-Maiz. “Someone in our community was very generous and gifted us some funds to buy cameras, so we ordered them and they should be coming (Sunday).”
Despite the challenges, Candelo-Maiz’s business has remained a haven for visitors, and she hopes to be able to keep it that way.
“My favorite part about this place is that it is this little oasis in the middle of the city, and people who come here frequently say this is my happy place,” Candelo-Maiz said. “We know that times are tough right now for everybody, and the cost of things is not going down, it’s going higher, we get that that’s impacting everybody… We’re also impacted by what’s happening.”
Watch more from ABC10: ‘Get a real job’ | Stockton residents fed up after months of cluster mailbox thefts
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