L.A.’s already delicate urban tree cover suffered major damage this weekend as a chainsaw-wielding vandal took down numerous shade trees along South Grand Avenue and nearby downtown spots, according to posts and photos shared on Reddit and Instagram.
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The LAPD informed The Times that it had no details regarding the tree destruction, while attempts to reach the city’s Urban Forestry Division by email and phone on Sunday went unanswered.
Photos circulating on social media showed trees sliced cleanly at the base, while others had been chopped several feet up, some barely clinging to their trunks by a sliver of bark.
According to Reddit user TipTapMyWipWap, all trees along the stretch from 1st Street to Wilshire Boulevard were felled—but images suggest that some were spared.
Instagram photos reveal fallen trees at key downtown intersections, including Olympic & Hope, Olympic & Figueroa, and Broadway & Cesar Chavez.
Outraged social media users slammed the vandals, with several pointing out the timing—just days before Earth Day.
