It's been a rough year or so for Los Angeles. Sure, watching the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series was great, but January's wildfires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades continue to take a toll while (thankfully) minor earthquakes are a daily occurrence. At least Los Angelinos have one fewer destructive issue to fret about as the person behind the felling of a dozen trees has been apprehended.
44-year-old Samuel Patrick Groft faces nine felony charges for vandalism after police determined he was the person behind the destruction of a dozen trees in and around downtown Los Angeles. Already in possession of a lengthy criminal record, Groft could be sentenced up to six-and-a-half years for his illegal landscaping. That his arrest took place on April 22, 2025 - Earth Day - is a bittersweet victory for Los Angeles' dendrophiles.
You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.
For a city famous for its palm trees, Los Angeles' urban canopy is surprisingly limited. With a significant portion found in upscale neighborhoods and the city grappling with how to cut a billion dollars from its budget, adding shade trees seems like a far-fetched dream. For these reasons and more, the damage done by Groft cuts deeply into a city already reeling.
Groft, one of the many unhoused people living within Los Angeles' borders, purchased a pair of work gloves and a chainsaw powered by a rechargeable battery at a Harbor Freight store on April 13, 2025. On his way back to the homeless encampment he currently lives in, Groft tested out his new purchases by lopping a limb off a tree by a gas station.
That proved to be a warm-up for several days of violent arboreal mayhem. Over the next week or so, Groft would cut down a dozen trees and prune limbs off others in downtown Los Angeles. Most of his victims were ficus trees, although two were Chinese elms.
Spurred by complaints from thousands of outraged residents infuriated by the destruction of the city's trees, the Los Angeles police department was able to find Groft due to video images and the credit card he used to purchase his weapon of mass arboreal destruction. When arrested at his encampment, Groft allegedly told police, "I love trees. I love bark. I’m an arborist."
Those dismayed by his path of senseless destruction likely disagree with Groft's self-assessment.
Stump and Dump
Replacing a shade tree is not as simple as planting a sapling. The remains of the previous tree must be removed and hauled away. In some instances, Groft left a five-foot-tall stump behind. Even if a new tree is put in place, it can take decades for it to grow enough to replace the canopy of its predecessor.
Under California law, several of the trees Groft destroyed carried enough value to qualify as felony vandalism. Two other charges were reduced to misdemeanor vandalism as they didn't meet the minimum threshold. Estimates to remove what's left of the trees and replace them range between $179,000 to $347,000. A judge set bail for Groft, whose criminal record includes a previous conviction for felony vandalism, at $350,000.
Related Resources
- Vandalism (FindLaw's Criminal Charges)
- For Arbor Day: Is It Legal To Cut Down Trees? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- For Earth Day: Environmental Tips for Businesses (FindLaw's Small Business)
