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The chainsaw attack on a tree in downtown Los Angeles has had multiple mysteries.
1: Who did it? 2: What was the motive for such a strange crime?
“I’ve spent 35 years at the Los Angeles Police Department and have never seen anyone go and attack a tree, especially around Earth Day,” said LAPD CMDR. Lillian Carranza said.
On Wednesday, authorities announced that 45-year-old Samuel Patrick Groft was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism and linked him to 13 downed trees at five locations in the city. He was arrested on Earth Day, which was Tuesday.
Law enforcement sources say he has an extensive criminal history but posted to social media that he believed his mind was under control by “electronic weapons.”
We were unable to contact Gloft due to comments.
Cutting down at least 13 trees on public sidewalks for more than a week has sparked rage across the city. Some suggest that unfair vandalism is a new low for cities struggling with the social and economic crisis of the Manifold.
On social media sites, some insulting city residents speculated that the act was “no longer in the trees” or committed by uncruel, discreet developers secretly coordinated by the city of Los Angeles.
Unique look
Surveillance images of suspects with burps and goats wearing black clothes, pedaling a BMX-style bike, wondered whether many could move people to attack urban trees as they tot a dark backpack and a large duffel bag by the Los Angeles Police Department this week.
The Los Angeles Police Department has released this surveillance image of a man suspected of cutting numerous trees in downtown Los Angeles and elsewhere.
(LAPD)
Law enforcement sources say he has a tattoo of Roman numeral 666 on the back of his head.
Gloft was in possession of a chainsaw when he was arrested, police said Wednesday. He was previously convicted and spent time with deadly weapons assault, influence, felony vandalism and blows, court records show. LAPD officials declined to comment further on his criminal history, but detectives said they knew him from previous cases.
“That’s not normal.”
One of the people who spend time in the neighbourhood where Groft was detained, told me about a time when he used chain AW on metal poles to see the suspect.
“We had Sparks and S. We flew everywhere,” said someone who asked me to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “That’s not normal.”
In 2023, Groft told Cal State LA student journalists that he had lived on the streets for several years since completing the Mental Health Court Transformation Program, which provides residential mental health care to people facing prison time as an alternative to incarceration.
LAPD officials declined to comment on whether Groft is currently dealing with mental illness or substance abuse. They also refused to share possible motivations for cuttings on the tree.
“I’m constantly being slandered and I control my mind through electronic weapons that lure me into some sort of massive setup,” he said on his LinkedIn account with Groft’s name and photo.
Unique crime
Groft is accused of cutting off the trunk of the first tree on April 13 and cutting it off on the most recent Tuesday the day he was arrested, police said. Detectives said they still check the exact dates and times of all the cases, but some of them occurred in rough sunlight during the middle of the day.
One tree was cut in the 500 block of North Broadway. Three are 1550 W. 8th St. It was surrounded by a saw nearby. Five collapsed near 350 S. Grand Avenue. The three are 717 W. Temple St. was cut off near. One was taken away near 300 Treadwell Avenue, LAPD officials said. Additional locations of fallen trees are still under investigation.
Many people living near affected trees grew not only safety concerns after the incident, but also important shade, stormwater management and habitat environmental losses.
La Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that the situation was “truly beyond understanding” and that the public works crew are working to replace the trees as quickly as possible.
Trees offer many benefits to urban areas. They have been shown to clean the air, replenish groundwater, capture rainwater runoff, slow road degradation and reduce crime.
Times staff writers Clara Harter and David Zanizer contributed to this report.
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