
‘Beyond comprehension'; Chainsawed trees in downtown L.A. hint at city core's decline
Downtown Los Angeles has seen more than its share of indignity over the last few years.
The pandemic sent office vacancy rates rising as masses of in-person workers stayed home, and, in turn, many restaurants and businesses shuttered. Homelessness soared amid interconnected economic, mental health and drug crises.
And though downtown has since seen some development, a looming sense of disarray and decline lingers. After the 6th Street Viaduct was triumphantly unveiled, its hype quickly gave way to unruly street takeovers and copper thieves wire-stripping its lighting.
Even as the skyline expanded, Angelenos' attention fell on two skyscrapers that taggers had almost entirely covered in graffiti.
Which is why this weekend's shocking act of vandalism that took out six of the city's mature trees felt all the more disheartening.
'This has struck a chord,' said Cassy Horton, a 37-year-old downtown resident. 'It just really like flies in the face of everything that we're trying to do [to revitalize] the community, and for somebody to go around ... and set back what little progress we already have ... was really, really upsetting and hurtful.'
Along with safety, she said, green space has been one of the top concerns of the almost 100,000 people who live downtown, so the attack on some of the area's few trees particularly angered people.
'It's kind of an 'Enough is enough,'' said Horton, who serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Los Angeles Residents Assn., which advocates for more than 2,300 residents and community stakeholders. 'A lot of the issues that we face when we're talking about homelessness and mental health and open-air drug use and all of these things — they feel really thorny and complicated. ... But something like this, it's become a bit of a rallying cry for people downtown. We want to have a warm, welcoming, safe public realm.'
Many of the downed trees were discovered Saturday morning, when images of the sawed trunks and their massive, felled branches lit up online message boards and went viral on social media.
On Wednesday, the LAPD announced the arrest of Samuel Patrick Groft, 45, on suspicion of felony vandalism. Investigators say they linked the suspect to 13 downed trees in five locations across the city, and tips about additional trees continue to come. Groft was reportedly captured on surveillance footage using an electric chainsaw to cut down the trees on several different days, at several different times for more than a week. The earliest confirmed date was April 13.
StreetsLA, the city bureau responsible for maintaining streets and the urban forest, said its teams confirmed a total of six trees vandalized downtown this past weekend: three ficus, two sycamore and one Chinese elm, according to a statement from bureau director Dan Halden. These large shade trees, many along South Grand Avenue, were severed at the base or cut several feet above the pavement. He didn't immediately respond to questions about trees that were cut in other parts of L.A.
The StreetsLA team 'quickly responded and cleared the debris from all six locations,' Halden said. He said they were still evaluating the total cost of the damage and of potential replacements.
For many, this blatant act of disrespect represents the latest failure by city officials to keep downtown from further deterioration, and underscores a gnawing feeling that the heart of Los Angeles has fallen by the wayside.
'It's indicative of the lack of regard,' said John Sischo, a longtime developer downtown. 'It's because no one is really caring. ... This stuff happens when there's not enough people.'
Sischo said it's hard to get people and businesses to return to the area when there are real and perceived safety concerns that remain unaddressed. A turnaround requires addressing homelessness through an engaged and proactive government that works cooperatively with business and local leaders, he said. He hasn't seen that yet.
In many ways, Paul Kaufman, a small business owner downtown, agrees.
'There are some areas of progress, but it seems very halting,' Kaufman said, who loves the area and believes it deserves better. 'Something seems really great and then it withers. .... The real thing to make downtown work and feel safer is to have more people there.'
Downtown offices remain about one-third vacant, according to real estate brokerage CBRE, with the pandemic's effects still looming large. Crime rates in the area appear to be relatively stable over the last few months, according to available data from LAPD's Central Division, which covers all of downtown. (However, it's hard to comprehensively evaluate how much crime has changed over the last few years, as the LAPD recently overhauled how it records such statistics.)
But there have been areas of progress and resilience: Apartments downtown have remained relatively full. New restaurants are opening, Metro's regional connector is up and running, and several new high-end retail and hotel spaces have debuted. Plus, plans to revitalize the L.A. Convention Center and gear up for the the 2028 Olympics promise a wave of investment in downtown.
And perhaps that's why this violent assault on the community's trees 'really struck a nerve,' said Nick Griffin, the executive vice president of the DTLA Alliance, formerly the Downtown Center Improvement District.
'In the downtown L.A. community, we are working to bring downtown back and [are] particularly focused on improving the public realm — this just seemed like such a senseless attack on that,' Griffin said. 'It just seems so absurdly senseless.'
But he and other area organizers are hopeful the concern about the trees — and what it means about the state of downtown living — could inspire renewed action, investment and hope.
'In some ways, one of the key things that we're focused on is building the community and coalitions that it takes to revitalize a place like downtown,' Griffin said. 'There's no one silver bullet and there's no one organization that can do it.'
Ricardo Sebastián, an entrepreneur who lives and works downtown, has been trying to change the perception of the neighborhood through social media and marketing campaigns — but unfortunately, it feels like this incident could hurt those efforts.
'This actually perpetuates the stereotype that downtown is dirty, filthy, unsafe,' Sebastián said. 'We can paint and we can prime and we can build out storefronts and bring in really interesting businesses. ... But if we have people coming into town wielding chainsaws or defacing [buildings] .... we have to work that much harder.'
For some, that's the plan.
Horton and other board members from the residents group have called for immediate action from city officials, both to replace the trees and to hold the perpetrator to account — in an effort to help 'shift the anti-social, chaotic trajectory of our neighborhood,' the group wrote in a letter to city officials. The group said it looked forward to working with officials, notably Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents downtown, to ensure that 'the loss of these trees signals the beginning of the end of the ongoing corrosion of DTLA's public realm.'
'We need champions; we need folks in L.A. to care about downtown and to see it as the heart of our city,' Horton said. 'It's where we convene, it's where we protest, it's where we go out. ... We're starting to see some of our elected leaders step up and support us, but our challenges are acute.'
In a public statement, Jurado's office said her team was in 'close communication' with the LAPD about its ongoing investigation, and that she had brought forward a motion that would increase penalties in the municipal code for tree injury violations, in hopes of deterring future incidents. The statement thanked the community for bringing the issue to officials' attention, saying 'this is exactly what co-governance in action looks like. Stay tuned for updates.'
The office of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement calling the act 'beyond comprehension.'
'City public works crews are assessing the damage and we will be making plans to quickly replace these damaged trees,' Bass' spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement. 'Those responsible must be held accountable.'
But some didn't see this incident as a sign of larger issues downtown, though there's a clear environmental loss with losing any tree: They provide shade, stormwater and pollution management and habitats for birds and other small animals. Urban trees have also been found to slow the deterioration of streets and reduce crime.
'It's a huge hit,' said Lee Coffee, who lives and works in downtown L.A., mostly lamenting the loss of shade. But he called the whole ordeal 'kind of random.'
'The cleanup was really fast,' Coffee said. 'I haven't noticed any other events like this.'
Times staff writers Roger Vincent and Clara Harter contributed to this report.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Unpacking claim LAPD officers shot photographer on rooftop during 2025 ICE protests
On June 10, 2025, following a weekend of protests against immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles, a claim (archived) circulated online that Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers shot a photographer filming protesters from a rooftop. The footage came from a June 9, 2025, news livestream (archived). That stream showed a person on a rooftop near First Street and Los Angeles Street stumble backwards and fall, dropping a small, dark item as they did so. After about 10 seconds, the fallen person was able to get back up and be escorted off the rooftop. The claim circulated on X (archived) and Instagram (archived). However, Snopes could not independently verify whether the person seen falling down on the rooftop was a photographer shot by an LAPD officer. The LAPD did police (archived) a protest near First Street and Los Angeles Street on June 9, eventually authorizing (archived) the use of "less lethal munitions," according to its X account. These munitions include things like tear gas and rubber bullets. According to the LAPD, "Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort." We found no credible reports of a photographer being shot by police on June 9, though journalists and photographers were injured by rubber or plastic bullets on two previous days of protest. The LAPD media relations division referred us to their X account when asked about the video, which did not mention this particular incident. Organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders had tracked between 20 and 27 incidents involving journalists and law enforcement officers in LA since June 6, 2025, at the time of this writing. The Los Angeles Press Club keeps a running tracking document of incidents. This document did not list any recorded incidents of a photographer or journalist being shot on June 9 at the time of this writing. ABC News 4. "Anti-ICE Protesters March through Downtown Los Angeles." YouTube, 9 June 2025, California Press Rights Tracking Doc (Consolidated). Los Angeles Press Club, 12 Apr. 2021, Gregory, James. "British Photographer Injured by 'plastic Bullet' during LA Protests." BBC News, 9 June 2025, @LAPDCentral. "⚠️Traffic Advisory⚠️ Temple Is Closed between Spring St and Alameda. ." X, 9 June 2025, ---. "Protestors in the Crowd Began Throwing Objects at the Officers at Temple and Los Angeles. ." X, 9 June 2025, "Law Enforcement Injure Multiple Journalists, Others Assaulted While Covering Los Angeles Protests." Committee to Protect Journalists, 9 June 2025, Propper, David. Post Photographer Shot with Rubber Bullet in LA Riots. 9 June 2025, Thompson, Sean, and Jorge Branco. 9News US Correspondent Lauren Tomasi "sore, but Okay" after Being Shot by Rubber Bullet in LA Protests. 10 June 2025, USA: RSF Condemns Wave of Violence against Journalists Covering Los Angeles Protests | RSF. 9 June 2025,


Newsweek
43 minutes ago
- Newsweek
LA Riots Enter Day 5 as New Arrests Underway
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has begun arresting people Tuesday afternoon, as the unrest from protests and riots entered its fifth day in the City of Angels. In a post on X, LAPD Central Command cautioned people to avoid the area of Alameda between Aliso and Temple. "A Dispersal Order was issued to all persons," the post read. "Officers are making arrests. Please do not interfere with the lawful arrests." "The use of less lethal munitions has been authorized. Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort," LAPD said in another post following the dispersal order. This comes as protests have spread across cities throughout the nation in response to raids by the United Stated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While many of these protests and demonstrations have remained peaceful, some have devolved into violence, with participants throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails, cement and other items at law enforcement. The National Guard was deployed by President Donald Trump over the weekend as demonstrations took over many areas of the city, despite California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass insisting the added boots on the ground would only escalate tensions. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dallas ICE, Homeland Security deports 122 Chinese nationals
The Brief U.S. authorities deported 122 Chinese nationals who were in the country illegally on a June 3 flight. Some of those removed were convicted of serious crimes, including murder, rape, and human smuggling. Officials said the operation enhances public safety and strengthens national security for the United States. DALLAS - Dallas ICE and the Department of Homeland Security returned 122 Chinese citizens to their home country on June 3 after they were found to be in the United States illegally, federal authorities said. Big picture view The group, which included 96 men and 26 women ranging in age from 19 to 68, was flown from various U.S. detention facilities to the People's Republic of China, according to a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many of those removed had been convicted of serious crimes, the agency stated. Among the individuals removed were those convicted of murder, rape, human smuggling, and drug trafficking. Notable cases highlighted by ICE include a 47-year-old man convicted of murder, a 27-year-old man convicted of rape, a 49-year-old man with a drug-trafficking conviction, a 55-year-old man convicted of human smuggling, and a 50-year-old woman with a bribery conviction. What they're saying "Through our interagency partnerships and coordination across ICE field offices, we have successfully removed these individuals, many who were convicted of egregious crimes," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. "This operation not only enhances the public safety of our communities across the U.S. but also strengthens national security. "Our colleagues at ICE come to work every day to identify, arrest and remove illegal aliens who attempt to circumvent our nation's immigrations laws." What you can do Members of the public with information can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing ICE's online tip form. The Source Information in this article is from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.