The citizens of Denver Harbor take pride in their community.
"It's like a small family here," said civic club president Anna Gonzales.
Members of the civic club have spent years trying to convince the city to spend money on sprucing up the area. They thought they were getting somewhere when the city earmarked more than $100,000 for a beautification project, until thieves made off with dozens of newly planted shrubs from Tuttle Park
"I believe we counted them and there were about 60 shrubs that were stolen," said Gonzales.
Gonzales, a longtime resident and civic club president, took it personally. "We value our neighborhood and we think it's very wrong that you took them," she said. "You not only hurt us in the community. You hurt the city, too. You stole from the city and we want them back."
The irrigation system was the only thing the thieves left behind. Police are investigating.
"The suspect or suspects went in there and probably had a truck," said Corporal A. Matamoros with the Harris County Precinct 6 Constable's Office. "I'm sure somebody saw something."
Denver Harbor continues to be the focus of a major push to curb crime. Using our exclusive CrimeTracker, we found property crimes, such as home burglaries, are up 30 percent through May of this year. Vehicle break-ins are up 46 percent.
On Monday afternoon, as park visitors went about their business, a team of city employees inspected the damage. We're told re-planting could begin sometime next week.
"We're not gonna stop. We're gonna continue on," said Gonzales. "Those of us who love the neighborhood, we're gonna continue beautifying the neighborhood."
If you have information about this case, call the Harris County Precinct 6 Constable's Office at 713-923-9156.