Man faces more than 15 years in prison after chainsaw rampage destroys $350,000 worth of trees: 'Profoundly disturbing'
A man is facing several charges after being accused of illegally cutting down several trees in the Los Angeles area, per The Washington Times.
According to a press release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Samuel Patrick Groft used a chainsaw to chop down eight trees in downtown L.A. Police say that surveillance footage revealed the alleged suspect, who was spotted wearing all black and riding a BMX-style bike.
Groft has been charged with eight felony counts of vandalism that caused nearly $350,000 worth of damage. If found guilty, he faces more than 15 years in state prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman emphasized the significance of the alleged crimes. "What took years to grow only took minutes to destroy," Hochman said in the press release.
"Trees not only provide shade and comfort but nourish those who live and work in our communities," he added. "Selfish and senseless acts that strip away a vital piece of our ecosystem are profoundly disturbing and my office will prosecute anyone who engages in such criminal conduct to the fullest extent of the law."
For residents who live in urban areas, trees can improve air quality, reduce heat and help manage stormwater. In addition, trees can also offer numerous health benefits. It has long been noted that trees can potentially boost mental health and even lead to cardiovascular improvements.
During a press conference on April 24, Los Angeles Councilmember Ysabel Jurado admonished the destruction of the trees. "Over the weekend, downtown L.A. suffered from an unconscionable act of vandalism when someone cut down several trees in the public right-of-way," Jurado said.
"For many of our downtown L.A. residents, the public right-of-way is their front yard, it is their backyard. So the loss of these trees is personal," Jurado added.
Jurado then explained that the city would quickly act to replace two trees for every one that had been cut down. "No one could have foreseen this random act of violence. But here's the thing about downtown L.A. and this community: It's resilient, it's dynamic, and it's ever-evolving," Jurado said.
"And this is not the first time the community here in downtown L.A. has put their hands together to fix the problems and make their own solutions."
Do you think the government should ban gas-powered lawn tools?
No way
Definitely
Only certain tools
I don't know
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Showdown brewing after lawmakers' defunding of Gallup District Attorney's Office
Jun. 11—SANTA FE — The district attorney in McKinley County is facing the defunding of her office in just three weeks, after a simmering debate over prosecution rates prompted lawmakers to take the rare step of stripping state funds for an elected official. District Attorney Bernadine Martin said Wednesday attempts to "remedy" the situation are in the works, including a possible working agreement with San Juan County District Attorney Jack Fortner. She also did not rule out filing a court challenge. The showdown was set in motion when lawmakers approved a $10.8 billion state budget bill in March that does not include any base funding for employee salaries and benefits in Martin's office. Instead, the bill that takes effect next month earmarks $1.9 million for the district attorney in neighboring San Juan County to prosecute cases in McKinley County. It also provides an additional $1.9 million for contract attorneys to be hired in the district. Martin, who is the state's first female Navajo district attorney, was reelected last year as the top prosecutor for the second division of the 11th Judicial District. She said the defunding holds her "hostage" and prevents her from performing her elected duties. "Because he got my money doesn't mean he runs my office," she said in a Wednesday interview, referring to the San Juan County district attorney. Martin also said her office currently has 24 full-time employees, including investigators, victim advocates and administrative staff. But Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he was approached by judges, other prosecutors and Chief Public Defender Ben Baur about an alarmingly low number of prosecutions in McKinley County and Martin's management of the District Attorney's Office. He added Martin has not shown up for legislative budget hearings in several years, and said defunding her office was the only way to ensure cases move forward. "If cases aren't getting prosecuted and judges are telling me we're in the worst shape in the state, my job as a legislator is to step up and do something," Muñoz told the Journal. "This is the only place we can really handcuff her and make sure criminal cases get prosecuted," he added, saying some employees from Martin's office had also approached him with concerns about management practices involving the use of overtime. Law enforcement awaiting resolution While Albuquerque has primarily been the focus of legislative attempts to improve public safety in recent years, Gallup has also struggled with high crime and addiction rates. The city's violent crime rate has actually decreased in recent years, but Gallup still had the state's highest violent crime rate as of 2022, with roughly 1,500 such incidents per 100,000 residents, according to legislative data. McKinley County Sheriff James Maiorano said Wednesday the lack of attorneys in Martin's office prompted him to refer a vehicular homicide case to Attorney General Raúl Torrez's office several years ago. He said the situation has somewhat improved since Martin hired two contract attorneys to handle cases, but said the set-up is still far from ideal. "You may be the best attorney in the world, but when you get to 400 or 500 cases per attorney, things are going to fall through the cracks," Maiorano said. Due to chronic staffing issues, the District Attorney's Office in Gallup has had by far the state's highest average caseload for attorneys in recent years. During the first quarter of the current budget year, the figure hit 2,822 cases per attorney, according to Legislative Finance Committee data. In addition, only 18 cases went to trial in the judicial district last year, out of nearly 1,500 cases that were referred to the office, according to data compiled by Muñoz's office. Martin acknowledged this week her largely rural District Attorney's Office has struggled to attract applicants for attorney positions. But she said that problem is not unique to her office, citing similarly low staffing rates at the local public defender's office. How the defunding vote played out This year's budget bill initially included $3.3 million for the District Attorney's Office in McKinley County, along with additional funding for contract attorneys. But after the bill was approved by the House, it was amended in the Senate Finance Committee. One of those changes involved stripping the funding for the District Attorney's Office out of the bill, and adding budget language stipulating new cases in the county would be handled by Fortner, the newly-elected district attorney in San Juan County. Though several senators expressed concern about the change, the bill passed the Senate on a 24-16 vote and was then ratified by the House. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the budget bill into law in April, leaving the altered funding plan intact. A Lujan Grisham spokesman declined to comment on the situation Wednesday, while Fortner did not respond to a message seeking comment. Maiorano, the local sheriff, described the situation as delicate, citing state law that empowers district attorneys to decide whether to move forward with cases or dismiss them. "We are all holding our breath for July 1," he said, referring to the date the new state budget takes effect.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warr Acres woman charged after allegedly drugging grandchildren, locking them in dog cage for hours
WARR ACRES, Okla. (KFOR) — A year-long investigation has led to the arrest of 53-year-old Davena Marx, after police say she drugged her grandchildren and locked them in a dog cage. Marx has been charged with four counts of Child Abuse and one count of Child Neglect. Warr Acres Assistant Police Chief Jason Allen said Marx's arrest came later, due to forensic interviews with the children and gathering evidence with the District Attorney's Office. 'The day we went out with them, there was enough to immediately remove the children, which is often not the case,' Asst. Chief Allen said. 'They did find a large dog cage in the residence, and they also did locate Seroquel, which was also one of the allegations that Seroquel had been given to the children as well,' he added. In court documents, Marx's two grandchildren, both under 10 years old, detail the horrific abuse to DHS Investigators. One of the children said Marx would step on their feet and grind her heels into their toes, also hitting them with belts that would leave bruises covering their bodies. OKC man remains missing after vanishing on Christmas Eve The child also said, 'Memaw sells drugs and uses them; she makes us stay in the dog cage when she wants to go outside by herself.' 'The children did test positive for Seroquel, so she was definitely giving them this,' Asst. Chief Allen said. A neighbor also told officers she noticed the children with black eyes and eating out of the dumpster. She also heard Marx cursing at them and calling them worthless. The abuse took place at a Warr Acres apartment complex near N. MacArthur. Neighbors in the complex were stunned when they heard about the abuse. 'It's crazy, it's crazy, and something should be done to her,' said Kenneth Greer. Greer also said, 'It's sad and sickening, that someone would do this to kids, locking them up in a cage, giving them drugs, beating them and everything, that's crazy.' News 4 learned that the children's father was killed in a road rage incident. The mother's whereabouts are unknown. However, officers say the children are now with other family members. Marx is in the Oklahoma County Jail on a $50,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
MTA renews anti-subway surfing efforts with ad campaign
Transit officials are hoping a new ad campaign, a new spokesman and a few subway car modifications will continue to drive down subway surfing deaths. The MTA relaunched its 'Ride Inside, Stay Alive' anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, this time with the support of Queens-born professional BMX bike rider Nigel Sylvester. Like last year's initiative, the push involves a series of recorded subway announcements — by Sylvester, as well as by New York City schoolchildren — about the dangers of riding on the outside of a subway train, plus a series of digital posters displayed on subway and platform screens. 'Subway surfing is going to get you injured or killed,' Sylvester says in a subway announcement recorded for the campaign. 'It's pretty simple: Don't do it.' 'I believe I can relate to these kids,' Sylvester said Wednesday, when asked how a professional thrill seeker can be a role model for safety. 'Kids can relate to me, and we can have a meaningful dialogue.' Subway surfing has been a persistent, deadly problem, with six deaths attributed to the practice last year and five deaths in 2023. Another 25 people were injured while riding outside of trains in those two years. The overwhelming majority of subway surfers are teenagers. So far this year, one person — a 13-year-old boy — has died from subway surfing, succumbing to his injuries days after falling off the top of a No. 7 train in Queens. 'As a father of three children, I can't imagine seeing my child on [top of] a train as that train barrels down the track,' said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. 'I was a manager here on the [No.] 7 line,' Crichlow continued. 'I've seen on a first-hand basis what happens to the children when they come into contact with a fixed, immovable object.' The revamped campaign focuses not just on the dangers of subway surfing, but on the toll that kids' deaths take on surviving families and friends. A three-display ad unveiled Wednesday tells the fictionalized story, in comic-book form, of a 12-year-old who falls from a train, and the horrors his death inflicts on his friends, his mother and the EMT who responds to the scene. The MTA's chief customer officer, Shanifa Rieara, said the campaign involved 43 such ads that would be rolled out over the next 12 months. Other announcements focused on the senselessness of a subway surfing death. 'The rush from subway surfing is fleeting — the consequences are real,' Ahana Chandra, a student at Stuyvesant High School, said in her subway announcement. 'Six people died subway surfing last year, and for what?' The ad campaign comes amid a series of other efforts to curb thrill-seeking subway deaths. The transit agency is in the early stages of testing add-on barriers to train cars in an effort make it harder to climb up to the roof. Rieara also noted that the MTA's efforts to get subway-surfing videos taken down from social media continues. So far this year, she said, roughly 1,800 such videos have been removed by platforms like X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
