LOS ANGELES, CA — Someone took a pickaxe to President Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The LAPD told Patch that officers were sent to the area of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday for a vandalism report. Once there they confirmed someone destroyed the star with a pickaxe.
The suspect, who reportedly hid the axe in a guitar case, told police what he did and turned himself in to Beverly Hills police, KNBC-TV reported. Police said the man, who has not been publicly identified, has not yet been charged with any crimes.
After bashing through the plaque, the man called police and advised he had vandalized Donald Trump’s star, the Los Angeles Times reported. The man called on himself and said, “See you soon,” Lt. Karen Leong of the LAPD’s Hollywood Division told the newspaper.
Private security in the area attempted to intervene but couldn’t stop the man because they don’t have police powers, she said.
By the time officers arrived at the scene, the man was gone, Leong said. However, about an hour later, officials say he walked up to Beverly Hills police headquarters, identified himself and said he wanted to turn himself in.
LAPD officers picked him up soon after and took him into custody. He was still being interviewed at 6 a.m., Leong said, adding he will likely be booked on suspicion of felony vandalism.
“The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an institution celebrating the positive contributions of the inductees,” said Leron Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which administers the Walk of Fame. “When people are unhappy with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways than to vandalize a California State landmark. Our democracy is based on respect for the law. People can make a difference by voting and not destroying public property.”
This is at least the second time Trump’s star has been vandalized in the last two years, KNBC-TV reported. James Otis donned construction worker garb in October 2016 and destroyed the star using a pickax and sledgehammer.
Otis pleaded no contest to felony vandalism in February 2017.
#BREAKING Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been destroyed with a pickaxe. The star was previously destroyed on October 26, 2016. pic.twitter.com/37jDuNArDY
— KPIX 5 (@KPIXtv) July 25, 2018
Photo credit: Katharine Lotze/Getty Images; City News Service contributed to this report.