Police arrest man suspected of hacking downtown LA trees with a chainsaw
Police have arrested the man suspected of hacking down over 10 trees downtown Los Angeles and in nearby surrounding areas with a chainsaw over the weekend.
Los Angeles Police Department investigators announced the arrest Tuesday evening and the following day, Samuel Patrick Groft, 44, was identified as the alleged felony vandalism suspect.
Police began searching for the suspect after rows of trees lining streets throughout the downtown area were mysteriously cut down overnight. Witnesses told investigators that it happened between Friday night and Saturday morning.
Surveillance footage revealed an alleged suspect, who could be seen wearing all black and riding a BMX-style bike.
At a Wednesday news conference, detectives said so far, they have identified 11 trees that were hacked. They said Groft allegedly used a chainsaw to cut down the trees in the downtown Los Angeles community, the Westlake District as well as Glassell Park.
Det Robert Gutierrez said the loss so far is at $347,000, and that includes the value of eight of the hacked trees -- the other three have not been calculated for value yet.
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," Det. Michael Pineda said.
The incident drew strong response from multiple city leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass who said that the act was "truly beyond comprehension."
City work crews could be seen removing the debris on Monday, and the mayor's office said that work was already underway to replace the damaged trees.
Police suspect there may be more trees that were hacked and are asking the community to contact the LAPD (213) 484-3490 or LA Regional Crime Stoppers (800) 222-8477 to report any affected trees.
"I have 35 years on the Los Angeles Police Department and I have never seen anyone go and attack trees, especially around the time of Earth Day. This, I have to say, is a first for me," Cmdr. Lillian Carranza said.
