A vandal went after downtown Los Angeles trees with a chainsaw, shocking the city. Now they're being replanted
City leaders and community partners gathered downtown Los Angeles Friday to celebrate tree plantings to replace those that were chopped down by an alleged vandal last month.
Fourteen trees were mysteriously hacked with a chainsaw over several days in April, causing shock and outrage in the DTLA community, and beyond.
On Friday, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado led the replanting ceremony where golden shovels piled dirt on the first of 14 replacement trees. She said thanks to the generosity of the downtown community, the trees will be replaced two to one. "Anytime DTLA has had a downturn, it comes back stronger," she said.
Over the weekend of April 18 and 19, police responded to calls of felled trees lying on the road in several downtown locations. This led to others reporting similar bizarre tree hackings in and near the downtown area, with evidence allegedly pointing to the same suspect.
The man suspected of hacking down multiple trees across downtown Los Angeles with a chainsaw.
Los Angeles Police Department
Police gathered surveillance footage of a suspect, armed with a chainsaw, dressed in black and riding around on a BMX-style bike. Samuel Patrick Groft, 44, was arrested a short time later and faces 9 felony counts involving 13 trees that were cut between April 13 and April 19, including one that had a limb chopped off in broad daylight.
Investigators said they had prior contacts with Groft, who has a criminal record and is homeless. "We went to one of the locations over at Custer and Sunset. Once we got there, we found him there with the evidence, the same clothing, bicycle, and the chainsaw," Detective Michael Pineda said earlier.
Authorities estimated last month that there was nearly $350,000 in damages. Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services General Manager Ana Tabuena-Ruddy called it an instance of eco-terrorism.
Private sector partners are paying for the cost of the replacement trees, and most are California natives.
"We are planting Oak trees, Desert Willows, Catalina Cherry, and in locations we couldn't plant natives, we are identifying drought-tolerant trees to plant," Tabuena-Ruddy said.
She also noted that the root systems are sidewalk-friendly. "Everything we are planting is not going to lift up the sidewalks, but will provide green infrastructure and still maintain the integrity of our infrastructure."
At Groft's first Los Angeles court appearance last month, he was denied release on his own recognizance. The judge noted that he has an "extensive criminal record" and remains jailed on $350,000 bail.
Groft faces up to six-and-a-half years in state prison if convicted.
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