Rose Thief Arrested for Valentine-Related Heist

A two-week investigation led to the arrest of a Watsonville man on Monday, taken into custody on charges of stealing $7,000 worth of roses on Feb. 1.

According to Deputy April Skalland, Saul Rodriguez, 35, is accused of breaking into the main warehouse at Monterey Bay Bouquet and stealing mass amounts of long-stem roses. 

Evidence left at the scene led deputies to Rodriguez, Skalland said.

Rodriguez's arrest isn't the only failure of his flower-fiending plan. He wasn't even able to turn a profit off of the theft. 

"Since the flowers were stolen two weeks before Valentine’s Day, Saul was unable to sell the flowers," Skalland said. The roses die quickly and he had to discard the flowers in a ditch off of Highway 152."

Rodriguez was taken to Santa Cruz County Jail and is being held on $25,000 bail.