Violence in downtown Los Angeles became senseless when a man, armed with a chainsaw, destroyed more than a dozen elms and ficus trees in the heart of the city, leaving residents and authorities dismayed.
Los Angeles Police arrested Samuel Groft, a 44-year-old homeless man, on charges of felling a dozen trees within five days, between April 14 and 19, at the intersections of 1st Street and Wilshire Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street, Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street, Broadway and Cesar Chavez Avenue, Grand Avenue and 5th Street. He now faces more than 15 years in prison.
LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the episode as “a selfish and senseless act that deprives our ecosystem of a vital element.” Adding insult to injury, downtown area residents, who reported it with photos, videos and outraged comments on social media, will have to shell out some $347,000 to restore order.
Since the pandemic, workers have taken the opportunity to move away from downtown and have not returned to offices. About one third of office space in L.A. is vacant according to real estate agency CBRE which, combined with a cost of living crisis, has led to a number of them being occupied by homeless people seeking shelter. The consequences are disrupting the social fabric of the area. Restaurants and bars that served the downtown area have closed due to inactivity. Theft of copper from lighting cables is on the rise, as are incidents of vandalism like Groft’s tree-cutting spree, which “flies in the face of everything that we’re trying to do [to revitalize] the community,” as Cassy Horton, a board member of the Downtown Los Angeles Residents Association (DLARA), told the Los Angeles Times.
DLARA is made up of about 2,300 people, most of whom lay the blame on the city government. “It’s because no one is really caring,” commented John Sicho, a longtime developer. Mayor Karen Bass responded that authorities will investigate the matter. The only solution comes from the Los Angeles Convention Center, which is promising a wave of investment to prepare for the 2028 Olympics in hopes of restoring order and cleanliness.
