The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a man on Tuesday who was captured on surveillance footage using a chainsaw to chop down multiple trees in Downtown Los Angeles.
The tree-chopping vandal sparked great intrigue and outrage when residents spotted the wooden carnage on South Grand Avenue and other areas of city-owned property over the weekend. A number of trees were severed at the base, while others were cut several feet above the pavement and a few were still connected to their trunks by just a thread of bark.
Shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, the LAPD released a community alert showing a photo of the suspect on a bicycle that described him as a man in his 40s. Around 90 minutes later, police announced that he had been taken into custody on suspicion of felony vandalism. Authorities did not immediately release his name.
The man is accused of felling trees near 1550 W 8 Street at 3:40 p.m. Friday; near 350 S Grand Avenue at 1:22 a.m. Saturday; and near 300 Treadwell Street at unknown time, police said. Additional locations of fallen trees are still being investigated.
A number of the trees cut down by the vandal appeared to be Indian laurel figs.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Central Burglary Det. Gutierrez at (213) 924-8930 during regular business hours and the Central Area Watch Commander at (213) 486-6618.
Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement to ABC7 News that the situation is “truly beyond comprehension” and that public works crews are working to replace the trees as soon as possible.
Trees provide many benefits to urban areas. They clean the air, replenish the groundwater, capture stormwater runoff, slow the deterioration of streets and have been shown to reduce crime.
They also create a very helpful cooling effect. On a hot day, the temperature in shade under a tree canopy can be up to 10 degrees cooler than in the direct sun. One study by the UCLA Luskin Center found that shade can reduce heat stress in the human body by 25% to 30% throughout the day.
Staff writer Suzanne Rust contributed to this report.
