Outdoor thieves/stupid trespassers. Any solution?

So earlier this year there was some guy breaking into my neighbors houses in the dead and groping women. I cant remember when he got arrested, but around that time 6 bagseed seedlings from an experiment of mine were stolen starter pot and all.(3" tall and already turning male, no real complaints.)
Since then Ive been really careful and lucky and my pot plants are fine.
At some point that guy got out.
The deer have eaten the shit out of my other plants though (watermelon, spiderplants, nasturtiums, basil, and my tomato plants.)
The big cherry tomato plant outside my bedroom window has been eaten and sprung back so many times, and its end of season now. But last night, someone removed all but the most hidden tomatoes, moving my plant around, and they even broke a few things. All the tomatoes had at least a week and a half before they would have even tasted edible.
The cops are useless, and idk what i can do with no money for fencing in the property (renting anyways.)
Scary thing is, I was up till 4am last night, and sunrise is at like 5-5:30 right now here, and im an extremely light sleeper.
If i catch em' Im not afraid to do brutal shit. I already sleep poorly. Im so livid. Any Solutions to the trespasser solution? Maybe a cheap motion sensing light or 3, or an auto sprinkler with peppewaterspray? something cheap...

If deer can get into your yard Im sure Raykins -(TPB joke) cold get to your plants aswell. A lot of different animals will go into your backyard. Buy a little hunting camera and get a picture of it.

I use motion sensors, and found them very reliable. One thing to avoid is pointing them at trees or plants. A light wind will make you crazy.

Nothing was eaten, just gone, a few of the tomato clusters were cut with scissors and only the tomatoes. I have critter fence around it and i have dogs that are supposed to wake up, and bags and buckets lying around and nothing was moved. A motion sensor camera would probably be fine, but i have a feeling if its a tweaker, they'll steal, or smash the camera. And what makes people feel so unrighteously entitled?

Any other solutions? I hate limiting myself too one thi.ng

Someone as I was typing just pulled into our secluded driveway, turned around behind my house (near the garden) and then sped off, we have a 60' driveway to the front of the house that is very obvious where it leads. Fuck i need a bowl.

I zigzagged a trip line in my back yard. I have lawn chairs strategically placed so if there is a thief I'll hear them.
I live in the country, no neighbors but you never know.

I've had a giant haze plant stolen the night I was going to harvest it. It's been long enough mourning, I can give props to whomever nicked it. They knew what they were doing and must have been patient. Everyone has good input, hunting cams etc...Also making your presence known at different hours around the house. Maybe timers on lights in different rooms...looks like your moving about the house. Those deer love the plants even in the canyons in southern ca. I hope everything works out.

Pisses me off someone stole male plants, and then harvested my cherry tomato

roldgoldrlg said:

I've had a giant haze plant stolen the night I was going to harvest it. It's been long enough mourning, I can give props to whomever nicked it. They knew what they were doing and must have been patient. Everyone has good input, hunting cams etc...Also making your presence known at different hours around the house. Maybe timers on lights in different rooms...looks like your moving about the house. Those deer love the plants even in the canyons in southern ca. I hope everything works out.

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Its just about the end of the light for this year, so luckily im more concerned with cloning it right now. Im just lucky i moved my pot plants to a locked shed

Hopefully karma is full tilt!
Bummer on the cherry tomatoes. I'm from the Midwest originally, i dont think people know what tomatoes even taste like anymore, if you've had a California grocery store vegetable I miss that Midwest soil.

people steal tomatoes? I'm sorry dude, but that seems far fetched. You're sure it wasn't an animal?

I'm from Cali and grow delicious heirloom tomatoes. I have fruit trees and do know that my homegrown fruits and veggies taste like nothing you can buy in a supermarket.

texasjack said:

people steal tomatoes? I'm sorry dude, but that seems far fetched. You're sure it wasn't an animal?

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I thought the same thing. A tomato thief? It does sound more like an animal rather than a human.

My mouth is watering

honestly I wouldn't blame OP for feeling that way. Being a victim of robbery sucks. Changes your whole perspective

I just ate an apple from my tree. Crisp and juicy.

texasjack said:

people steal tomatoes? I'm sorry dude, but that seems far fetched. You're sure it wasn't an animal?

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One hundred percent sure. Not a single leaf or stem munched on, very even cuts (like from clippers) and the whole plant 3.5' tall (gown like a viney bush) looked like it had been rooted though, and all the branches that had been tangled in the extra critter fence were lying on top of it. I have 2 tomatoes left and they are just starting, but i had a good 40-55 close to ripening.

Not even a raccoon could have been that thorough, IMO
Maybe a small chimp could though.. but this is CA man.

Do you live near a place where hungry people might have seen the tomatoes and came and took them?
I'm not being silly, but only someone either really hungry or a mental case comes in the night to steal cherry tomatoes.

There is a homeless "camp" for the indians and other homeless locals a few miles up the mountain, and i have heard of them venturing down to here. Could be, but i cant be sure.

Kush Knight said:

There is a homeless "camp" for the indians and other homeless locals a few miles up the mountain, and i have heard of them venturing down to here. Could be, but i cant be sure.

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It sucks to have anything stolen or to have your home, yard or property invaded.
I would do a trip line. Its simple, cheap and effective, imho.