47 year old Cary Dale Tilotta was arrested Monday on charges of felony theft by taking. 42 year old Steven Masters faces the same charge and was already in the Hall County jail when police charged him.
Braselton Assistant Police Chief Lou Solis said Tilotta offered a couple of stories.
"The two stories that I got from Mr. Tilotta was, the first one came, he said that he was high on meth."
The second involved Masters.
"He said that his buddy, Mr. Masters wanted some shrubs and some plants, and Mr. Tilotta owns a nursery," Solis said.
Tilotta has a nursery in the back of his house less than 1.5 miles from Wilson Orthodontics where the crime occurred, according to Solis.
"He said that he didn't want to give his stuff to Mr. Masters, because he knew Mr. Masters wasn't going to pay him, and Mr. Tilotta said he knew where to get some shrubs," Solis said.
According to police, Tilotta had spotted the plants because his daughter either had been or was an upcoming patient with the victim business.
Wilson Orthodontics posted a surveillance video package of the theft on the Internet. Media picked up on the story and some tips came in.
"That's what led us to go sit outside his (Tilotta's) house, and we identified the vehicle. That's what the detective did, it was just the help of the public and good old-fashioned police work," Solis said.
The stolen plants were worth roughly $1200.
Surveillance video shows thieves stealing plants from Wilson Orthodontics in May.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/7/250387