Pacific Bonsai Museum on CNN

[penumbra]

The report says to me this was a "theft by idiot" incident. Some knuckledragging dimwit saw the trees and an opportunity and took both. Doesn't sound to me like an orchestrated theft organized by professionals.

Maybe. But it is hard to imagine a dim witted idiot taking the risk of returning them. I think a more likely scenario is a semi dim witted idiot stealing them and trying to fence them and being persuaded to return them and getting the 'get the "f" outta here, I wouldn't touch them fool' response.
I guess we all run through different scenarios and no one will ever really know unless someone comes forward. The trees are back and that will have to be enough.
In the long run it puts a strong light on this action and will hopefully discourage other potential thefts.

 

[Stormwater]

Fake news, they were never taken! Just a story to make you feel good.

 

[rockm]

Maybe. But it is hard to imagine a dim witted idiot taking the risk of returning them. I think a more likely scenario is a semi dim witted idiot stealing them and trying to fence them and being persuaded to return them and getting the 'get the "f" outta here, I wouldn't touch them fool' response.
I guess we all run through different scenarios and no one will ever really know unless someone comes forward. The trees are back and that will have to be enough.
In the long run it puts a strong light on this action and will hopefully discourage other potential thefts.

This sounds very similar to the theft at the National Arb way back when. Thief took a black pine bonsai to impress his girlfriend. Local news and law enforcement pressure resulted in that tree being dropped off at the gate. But you're right--no way to tell the motive or why they brought them back--just thankful they were returned.

 

[Dav4]

The report says to me this was a "theft by idiot" incident. Some knuckledragging dimwit saw the trees and an opportunity and took both. Doesn't sound to me like an orchestrated theft organized by professionals.

Fwiw, I have an alibi!!

 

[misfit11]

That's fantastic! It was probably the national news attention that pressured the thieves to return the trees. Thanks to CNN for carrying the story. Those trees sound like they are a national treasure.