The Brief

For days, police say, Samuel Patrick Groft cruised through the streets of Los Angeles on his bicycle, single-handedly chopping down about a dozen city trees with an electric chainsaw in three different neighborhoods.

Groft sometimes hacked away at large, decades-old trees in the middle of the night, others, he wielded his cordless power saw on busy sidewalks in broad daylight, according to surveillance videos reviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department.

The footage also showed that Groft's destruction spanned at least five days, beginning on April 17 and continuing until his arrest on April 22 — Earth Day.

He has since been charged with felony vandalism and is being held on $150,000 bond. Efforts to reach Groft or an attorney were unsuccessful.

During a press conference, police said the cost of replacing the trees will be at least $347,000. But that estimate does not include three additional toppled trees discovered by the LAPD.

The root of outrage

A tree is shown chopped down in a Los Angeles neighborhood.

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Los Angeles Police Department

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Media Moussavy was on a morning walk when he came across about a half dozen felled shade trees in downtown Los Angeles where he lives. He told NPR he was livid at the sight of the severed trees and immediately posted about it on his Instagram account @DTLAInsider.

Moussavy's videos showed several of the older trees likely measured between 20 to 30 feet — only about 5 feet of their trunks remaining in the ground. Others were cut closer to their roots.

The stories went viral, touching off tens of thousands of angry comments from users who were equally perplexed and dismayed over the loss of any piece of the city's already meager urban canopy. In post after post they called for justice and revenge. They demanded that the culprit be forced to replant new trees.

Within days, the public outrage was so fervent that Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement calling the attacks "beyond comprehension." She promised residents that all of the trees would be quickly replaced. No small feat in a city that's looking to cut a billion dollars from its budget.

"I think that the uproar from everybody that we heard and saw online definitely shows how people feel when it comes to nature," Moussavy said.

"You can replace graffiti, you can replace broken glass, but trees that take that much time to grow and honestly do nothing but provide us with a benefit … I mean at the end of the day, what did the tree ever do to you?" he asked.

Downtown's downturn

A tree is felled in Los Angeles.

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Los Angeles Police Department

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Beyond the blamelessness of the foliage, the bizarre act of vandalism has incensed locals who say they're fed up with the chaos that seems to have taken over downtown since the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last five years, once bustling neighborhoods have become ghost towns. Residents have moved out, homeless encampments have spilled onto streets lined with newly built luxury buildings. Businesses and restaurants that drew in crowds of shoppers, and weekend and nightlife goers have shuttered. And many residents who have stuck it out, told NPR that the general absence of people has allowed for rampant open drug use.

All in all, the changes have taken a toll on the 90,000 people who live downtown.

That's why Leslie Ridings is so demoralized by this latest bout of destruction.

As co-founder of the Downtown Los Angeles Residence Association, Ridings is actively trying to build a thriving downtown community.

"Part of downtown's job is to be a gathering place. It's the heart of the city; We come here to watch sports games. We come here to celebrate, to mourn, and that's awesome. We want everybody to come and spend time here and live here. We want more density, more residents. We want all of it," Ridings said.

But a crime like this, which he described as "wanton destruction for destruction's sake," gives the public the impression that antisocial behavior will be overlooked.

"It really highlights the presumption of impunity," Ridings said, adding that it also signals that city and county officials are returning to an era wherein they "used downtown as sort of the carpet they swept stuff under."

City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado represents the district where half of the trees were felled. She held a press conference on Thursday, calling on city leaders to quickly replace the trees. She told NPR that losing such "living infrastructure" is an eerie but apt metaphor in two ways.

"For how historic this neighborhood is, and how it's been chopped down by forces that are external to it, whether it's COVID or another economic recession," Jurado explained.

It also serves as a metaphor for Jurado as a council member, she said.

"We're in a crisis. Our city government is broken in this upcoming hostile fiscal environment. So much labor is being put on the table to be laid off, and our city services are being cut down even more."

The urban canopy

A woman shields her eyes from the sun as she walks in downtown Los Angeles during a heatwave Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.

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Etienne Laurent

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AP

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The tree canopy across Los Angeles leaves a lot to be desired. A 2021 study by the city, found that 20% of the tree canopy within the city limits was located in just four neighborhoods. The research said that the root of the problem, as in many cities across the nation, stems from federal redlining policies that refused to insure mortgages in non-white neighborhoods. Over the long term, those practices have resulted in a lower investment in parks and other public green spaces. All of which confer a variety of benefits to residents.

"It's no wonder, then, that so many of those communities suffer disproportionately some of the most ill effects of climate change – be it heat, illness, or the stresses that are associated with pollution," Bryan Vejar, associate director of community forestry at TreePeople told NPR.

The organization is involved in a citywide program seeking to increase the urban tree canopy "in areas with the greatest need" by 50% by 2028.

But, Vejar said, it's not as easy as just planting new trees. Research shows Los Angeles is in desperate need of large, mature trees, which provide more shade, better storm water management and energy savings.

If there's a silver lining to an otherwise senseless spate of arbor violence, Vejar said, the city now has an opportunity to diversify its urban forest.

The majority of the trees that were felled were ficuses. While they are often used in unwelcoming hardscaped areas because they can endure high radiant heat, they're not native to California and can be really destructive.

Streets LA, the department that oversees public works spaces for the city, said the trees ranged in age from 10 to more than 50 years old. The agency did not give a timeline or cost estimate to replace them.

"We're big fans of oaks," Vejar said, noting that they are native. "We have to plant trees that are climate adaptive that can withstand some of the average heat and drought conditions that are commensurate with the built environment. And so I would advocate, not simply just for one species, but many different species."
Copyright 2025 NPR

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.