L.A.’s fragile urban canopy was dealt a vicious blow this weekend when a chainsaw-wielding vandal cut down a number of shade trees along South Grand Avenue and other areas of downtown, according to media posts and photos uploaded to Reddit and Instagram.
The Los Angeles Police Department told The Times it had no information about the tree destruction, and an email and phone call to the city’s Urban Forestry Division went unanswered Sunday.
Social media images showed a number of trees that were severed at the base, while others were cut several feet above the pavement. A few of the felled trees were still connected to their trunks by just a thread of bark or wood…