"Groft was accused of cutting down 12 trees, as well as sawing the limb off a 13th, across a seven-day period beginning April 13 - sometimes in broad daylight, other times in the dead of night. Officials asked the public's help to identify the vandal, who was wearing all black and riding around on a bike with a backpack and a duffel bag, which they believed held a chain saw."
"He was sentenced to two years in county jail and will pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a hearing in April, according to Cynthia Valenzuela, an L.A. County deputy district attorney with the environmental crimes division. City officials had previously testified that the loss of three of the trees - for their clean-up and to replace them - would total almost $175,000."
Samuel Patrick Groft was accused of cutting down 12 trees and sawing the limb off a 13th during a seven-day span starting April 13, sometimes in daylight and other times at night. Detectives identified Groft after finding his name on a receipt for a chainsaw purchased minutes before an attack on North Figueroa Street. Groft pleaded no contest to nine felony and two misdemeanor vandalism charges and received a two-year county jail sentence. Restitution will be set at an April hearing. City testimony estimated nearly $175,000 to remove and replace three lost trees, and replanting had begun.
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