Kenosha County nature center donations stolen, suspect seen on video

Kenosha County nature center donations stolen

Hawthorn Hollow, a Kenosha County nature center said, someone made a habit of stealing its donations. The suspect was caught on video multiple times.

KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. - A Kenosha County nature center said someone recently made a habit of stealing its donations, and the suspect was caught on video multiple times. 

What they're saying:

Just off of Green Bay Road in Kenosha County, over the gravel and through the green, there's a sense of peace at Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum.

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"Very serene. A nice place to be out," said TJ Leveque, Hawthorn Hollow's executive director.  "Five miles of trails and 90 acres to go explore."

Leveque said, for decades, the nonprofit nature sanctuary and arboretum has offered the community an immersive experience of history and nature. But he recently saw that nature doesn't always attract beauty.

Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum

"It's an unfortunate wild thing that doesn't happen here too often," he said.

Video from late May and early June shows a man visiting the property around midnight a number of times.

"We kind of gave him the benefit of the doubt, thought he was here picking up for a wedding," Leveque said. "We noticed that he had a wire."

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Leveque said the man targeted two different donation boxes and stole what was inside. Hawthorn Hollow still does not have a total of what was taken.

"After a good weekend, we would have a lot more than what was in the box. He must have missed a few singles, but I only pulled around $6 of the box after a nice busy weekend," said Leveque.

What you can do:

Leveque said, be it small or large, theft still hurts. Right now, he's asking the community to keep supporting them, saying a little help goes a long way.

Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum

"Being a nonprofit, we get by on donations. Donations, fundraising and grants," he said.

Anyone interested in supporting Hawthorn Hollow can donate online or in person. The nature sanctuary It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays.

What's next:

Leveque said the sheriff's department found the suspect and arrested him days later. FOX6 News reached out for more info on the arrest and potential charges but did not hear back by the deadline for this story.

Meanwhile, Leveque said they plan on being more cautious and vigilant moving forward.