A 64-year-old Clayton woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing plants, according to the Walnut Creek Police Department.
In September 2019, Walnut Creek Police received reports from two businesses in separate areas of the city regarding the theft of newly planted landscaping from their parking lot areas. After reviewing video surveillance and conducting follow-up regarding these thefts, investigators say they identified 64-year-old Clayton resident Kim Murphy as a suspect in six thefts.
Police obtained a warrant for the arrest of Murphy. After the warrants were issued, Murphy committed another theft at one of the locations, according to police. She was arrested on October 15 for six counts of petty theft.
Police say Murphy subsequently admitted to the seven thefts at the two locations as well as one location in Clayton.
Murphy stated she has stolen landscaping plants approximately 20 times over the past several months in the Walnut Creek, Concord and Clayton areas, police said.
Murphy was driving a red Hyundai Elantra while committing these thefts, according to police.
If you have any similar thefts in which you have video surveillance depicting a suspect, please contact Det. Vevera at vevera@walnutcreekpd.com or 925-943-5875.
whats the big deal
this is a sanctuary state …theft is basically legal
she was not using a plastic straw in the commission of theft
she was not racist against any plants
she did not differentiate between male or female plants or even undesignated ones
she was legally parked
her registration was valid
her shoes did match her pants
I do not see the problem here why waste tax money with booking and photos and officer time off the street ….
you wanted a free for all
now we have it stop being hypocrites
not to mention she was repurposing the plants to beautify her own home
not re selling them
embrace your idiocy and strap in ….this is only the beginning of chaos
your children will be proud of your decisions
Please go out and commit crimes and then use that excuse in front of the Judge – I suspect you’ll suddenly realize you were gravely mistaken…
Lol. Yaaasss! You are correct my friend!
@ random task
You forgot about selective enforcement. I’m surprised authorities are taking it this far. Petty theft is pretty much legal.
@ Rob
Random task is more right than wrong. If she didn’t confess and asked for a jury trial I have a strong inclination that the charges would have been dropped. Not cost effective.
You’re an idiot!
@RandomTask. But you forgot to ask what type of plants they are. What if those are plants that exist due to oppression, or what about if she took those plants because they are “exotic” or “foreign” which can be considered discrimination or cultural appropriation. I agree with you by the way.
C’mon! Don’t defend her. She’s taking what doesn’t belong to her, and destroying private property. Punish her!
Jazzman and Rob-Do you know what “cynical” means?
Thank you JazzMan.
I’m usually 110% cynical, but I’m sick of this $h*T!! PEOPLE NEED TO STOP TAKING WHAT DOESN’T BELONG TO THEM AND STOP SH*TTING WHERE THEY AND WE LIVE!!! Get a life and work hard for your own stuff and have some respect for yourself and your community. Don’t we all want to live in a better world?
Leave her along she probably would have taken care of them better then anyone else.
So Nancy we can all come over to your house and take whatever we want because “we” probably will take better care of things we steal from you than you would?
I bet not..
She spelled it as she says it.
Her garden must look great.
@Richardo
That’s the 1st thought I had as well, that her garden looks great. However the floor & backseats of her car MUST BE A MESS!
I’ll bet more time and resources were dedicated to solving this than the Apple & Lululemon grab and run Organized crime rackets……they probably even got a search warrant for Ms Murphy’s house.
I’m guessing people shouldn’t bet on things they have no clue about
She needs to also spend time for being so stupid as to get busted for doing something like stealing plants.
Stealing is theft..planters cost money as well as plants and soil. Obviously she has a problem
Boredom or a life long thief?
Me thinks she need a cat!
Is this the same lady from Curb that stole Larry’s ficus?
Lol. If anybody could straighten her out, Random Task could!
Yes.
Was she rescuing the plants?
I need answers. I don’t get it. Why?
LOL!!! Best comment of the day winner right here!!!!
What an odd bird, I wonder if it was some kind of sick compulsion or she just saw opportunities? Either way, shame on her and I feel bad for the 20+ cats she likely has.
Interesting to see people defend her. Those plants are not her property.. it’s theft. Wonder how these people would be responding if she was a black woman.
Oh you can bet there’d be lots of she must come from “over the hill” comments…..
@ mike = RACE BAITER!!!
@Darwin
I guess Mike’s comment must have hit a nerve.
@Darwin, nah if you look at the responses on some of these, you’ll see he’s spot on…
Random Task – EXACTLY! Well said. The criminals are completely aware that there are little time no consequences to stealing. Things are going to get worse before they (hopefully) get better. Voters – pay attention.
It costs you as a taxpayer more to jail her than those plants are worth. I bet if your were told that a thieves discipline cost more to you personally than the theft cost the victim, you wouldn’t be so anxious to throw them in jail.
Me- It cost $100,000 per prisoner per year in state prison.Some have done nothing more than pile up petty crimes.It’s a reality of society.If there is no consequenses,crime will do what it’s doing in that class of crime where there’s no jail time.They will keep bumpuing it up to moresevere criimes.Eventually,murder will be the only thin that’s arrestable,It’s all they will have room to house.
Isn’t she a little too old to be commiting theft?
The Great Plant Bust of 2019.
An since this is CA, why shouldn’t we have Plant Detectives ? ? ?
Green Thumb Detectives.
We used to steal plants when I was young too…Well they were of a specific variety
not surprising, OSH is gone, their garden department was great and affordable. Navlet’s was pricey, then SLOAT moved in and doubled prices. Even KMART used to have a small garden department that is empty. What’s a green thumb to do?
OG … We are fortunate to have a valuable resource in Clayton,
R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Gardens, 6780 Marsh Creek Rd.
Nicole is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Have bought my potting soil and plants there for years.
She has a car. She could go to OSH in Walnut Creek, Danville, etc.
Yeah her kids said, “I need those”. I wouldn’t be surprised if her husband is a spousal abuser batterer either.
“Grandma, is that why you don’t answer your phone when we call to say good night?”
And they were blaming the Gophers. Seems like Clayton has become a crime capital.
I just pray that a qualified medical professional can identify the root of her mental disorder.
These videos are sad, because petty theft can be an early warning sign of dementia. Taking plants is such an odd thing to do. I hope there’s someone who checks up on her just to make sure she’s not in decline. Maybe someone in her life can buy her plants to keep her out of trouble.
Perceptive viewpoint. It’s quite possible.
I thought the exact same thing. My friend’s mother has moderate Alzheimer disease and she is obsessed with plants and yard work. She even has started cleaning the neighbor’s yards
Exactly. It could be begining dementia, or some other medical problem.
I looked out my window one day to see an 80 year-old neighbor of mine trying to steal solar lights from my yard. After his wife died, he told me he had brain tumors.
Additonally, my mother sort of watched out for an elderly woman who lived in downtown Clayton. She had a habit of stealing candy bars from the little grocery store there in the 1970s and had no family except a sister who lived at some distance away. My mother left her phone number with the store owner and told them anytime she took something to let her know and she would come by and pay for it. It only amounted to a candy bar now and then over several years. It was a different time when people were much more empathetic to the difficulties others face when aging.
@RANDOM TASK You are spot on my friend! The middle class is uprising. California is taxing us to theft. Our idiot California leaders are driving us ALL into debt. They won’t be satisfied until we’re all destitute. Why put this woman on blast? She’s just stealing plants. What about the real crime going on in this state. The real crime being Gavin Newsom.
You need to stop watching Fox News.
Recall Newsom and lock him up !
@fed up
Let’s recall Gavin Newscum.
Based on what @Plinko ?
If your joking, spousal abuse is no joke!!!
I’ve was physically abused for years, so know what you say and don’t assume.
Anon2You: so you stole Margo’s plants. We wondered who took them. Margo was mad.
Serial Plant Killer!
That’s comical.Another liberal at work.And she had money probably but wasn’t allowed to spend it because she doesn’t work.Another that just won’t follow rules.
I’m old! I didn’t know what I was doing! Where am I? Thanks to Uncle Leo, every old crook has a built in excuse.
Looks like she was bonded out on Oct. 16th. Mugshot available once you click on photo image
https://vinelink.vineapps.com/person-detail/offender/7946540;tabIndexToSelect=0
Kim wasn’t careful when stealing the plants. I think I heard them scream, plant abuse!
@ RandomTask
Awesome! About the best comment I have seen in a long time!
Simply awesome.
I knew clayton was a hellhole, but this is really sad. Aren’t there any plants over there?
@Plinko what is your deal?
No, its practically a Sahara Desert over here
Salty Here. Been a while since I chimed in.
She just misunderstood. Probably replanted those plants on Clayton/Marsh creek to beautify the area. Lol
Salty OUT!!
I learned at a very young age that taking things that do not belong me to is stealing and its wrong. It really disgusts me that people these days do not have common courtesy and respect for others. It ‘s a different world and I, personally, don’t like it much.
I’m pretty sure I saw this lady at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lafayette. She picked up a nice potted plant from one grave, then walked straight through on all the graves to the other side, where she picked up another potted plant. She walked back to her car and left with them. I thought it was quite odd.
OMG.
As a landscaper, I’m appalled that someone her age doesn’t know better. A great deal of work goes into preparation and placing those plants. I say throw the book at the grand theft granny. I think she’ll look good in one of those orange jumpsuits!!
Salty here again.. all I can say Sierra’s post about stealing from cemetery is WOW. That’s really low..
Lady must not have all her marbles.
Salty OUT!
I think it is tacky to steal plants like that. She needs to be stopped because she is a bad example. It is not a serious offence but should be noticed and she should pay back the money the plants that she took. Naughty thing to do.
How embarrassing! Anyway, I hope she’s embarrassed, but maybe she feels entitled, like many common thieves tend to do. I wonder if she has very nice landscaping at her house. Wish we could see it. Or maybe she uses them as nice gifts for her friends and loved ones.
From her mugshot it looks like she might be experiencing some early symptoms of dementia. I would like to see her yard. It must be beautifully landscaped.
I should talk! Can’t even type this name I so tired of right, anymore.
Gittyup, are you okay?
Silva, he typed something at 6:39 PM tonight that looked ok.
No worries.
I’m ok. But, thanks for asking. Just can’t believe I could make such drastic typing errors and not even notice them. I switched vitamins. I happened to notice my multivitamin had 833% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin B-12. No wonder I can’t sit down and rest. Too much Vitamin B-12 always makes me irritable, but not taking that vitamin must mean I’m missing out on the proofreading vitamin I need.
👌Okay, good.