Man who allegedly hacked downtown LA trees with a chainsaw ordered to stand trial
The man who allegedly used a chainsaw to cut down 13 trees in downtown Los Angeles and nearby areas has been ordered to stand trial on vandalism charges.
Over the weekend of April 18 and 19, police responded to calls of felled trees lying on the road in several downtown locations.
Surveillance footage captured 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.
Police 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.
After the value of each hacked tree was assessed, Groft was charged with 9 felony counts.
The threshold for felony vandalism in California is $400 of destruction, anything below that is a misdemeanor.
Two of the 11 felony counts were dropped to misdemeanor charges as the $400 in damages weren't proven by prosecutors in those two counts, which involved four trees added to the case on Wednesday.
Authorities estimated last month that there was nearly $350,000 in damages.
The street tree superintendent for the city of Los Angeles testified that he estimated damage at just under $175,000 for trees on city-owned property.
He said he did not assess the replacement costs of all of the trees, as some were on private property.
LAPD Detective Roberto Gutierrez testified Wednesday that he was told by a woman that three juniper trees reported to cost about $10,000 each were cut down on April 14 in front of her business in the 700 block of West Temple Street. He said the woman provided surveillance video footage showing the suspect holding a chainsaw and cutting down trees while wearing black gloves.
Groft faces charges involving 13 trees that were cut between April 13 and April 19, including one that had a limb chopped off in broad daylight.
At his 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." He remains jailed on $350,000 bail. Groft faces up to six-and-a-half years in state prison if convicted.
