Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Police arrest man suspected of cutting down trees in downtown LA
A fallen tree on the sidewalk at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street in Los Angeles, shown on April 21, 2025.
(
Kavish Harjai
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Los Angeles police announced Tuesday night that they had arrested a man suspected of using a chainsaw to cut down numerous trees lining city sidewalks in downtown.
The destruction: Last weekend, residents awoke to find severed tree trunks toppled onto the streets of downtown L.A. The trees appeared to have been felled by a chainsaw-wielding vandal in an act described by the mayor’s office as “truly beyond comprehension.”
The suspect: Shortly after police released surveillance photos of the man believed to have cut down multiple city trees between April 17 and April 22, the LAPD announced the arrest of 44-year-old Samuel Patrick Groft. Police officials describe him as a resident of Los Angeles.
Support for LAist comes from
The arrest: Groft was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism. Police say they are encouraging the public to provide any further information they might have about the suspect because they believe he could be responsible for other crimes.
Why it matters: Though they are unequally dispersed in L.A., urban trees have been shown to benefit residents by boosting mental health and providing much needed shade during heat waves. Researchers with USC have also found L.A.’s trees absorb more carbon dioxide than previously understood, helping to offset climate-harming emissions.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist