A man chopped down Los Angeles trees. The crime cut deep in the struggling neighborhood

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.

A man chopped down Los Angeles trees. The crime cut deep in the struggling neighborhood
Traffic flows on Interstate 5 past shipping containers near downtown Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

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.

(Image credit: Jae C. Hong)