Old Market business owner frustrated after plants vandalized 5 times in 6 weeks outside Centi

OMAHA, Neb. — An Old Market business owner is frustrated after plants outside his restaurant were damaged 5 times in 6 weeks — and security camera footage is capturing it happening.

Erick Landa, owner of Centi at 11th and Howard, said keeping the space looking nice matters to him and to the neighborhood.

"You want to make the space look, you know, beautiful for everyone. And it's not like we need to have plants out there. But, um, you know, it's one of those little things that we kind of want the center of the old market to look beautiful and be presentable," Landa said.

Landa said he waited before putting plants in the planters outside specifically because he wanted to be prepared.

"I waited up until the end of July, ... to even get plants out into the planners, um, until I got security cameras, because, you know, it was gonna be something that we wanted to maintain, um, and not just, you know, have to keep repairing and repairing," Landa said.

The security camera has captured people damaging the plants as recently as early Sunday morning and again Tuesday afternoon — hours after I spoke with Landa.

When shown the Sunday footage, Landa said his reaction was simple.

"I'm just like, why? Why are we, why are we doing this?" Landa said.

In the video, a person knocks over one planter, then moves down the line to the next.

"Yeah, he just knocked that one. Then he goes and knocks the next one over, and, yeah, with just effort, just... And then he just goes down the line," Landa said.

As for what he wants to see happen, Landa said he is still working through it.

"I thought about it for a minute. And I really, I really don't know. I mean, I feel like I want to bring him back and make him plant the stuff or buy me plants. Um, it just kind of rectify the situation," Landa said.

Landa said he tried to replant as many of the damaged plants as possible, but he knows not all of them will survive after being uprooted.