Donald Trump's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame vandalized
LOS ANGELES -- Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was targeted by a vandal who smashed it so badly that chunks of the star were missing from the sidewalk.
Los Angeles police received a report on Tuesday that someone was threatening to vandalize the star. When officers went to check it out, the damage had been done.
Exclusive video from Deadline Hollywood shows a person dressed as a construction worker smashing the star with a sledgehammer and pickax.
The words have been scratched off, and the brass medallion is gone.
Police set up a tent to cover the star and placed traffic markers around it. Extra officers are patrolling Hollywood as a result.
Multiple witnesses say the vandal started hammering away at the star around 6 a.m. - and nobody questioned it.
"Because he had on a vest, a construction vest, he had on a construction hat, he had the dividers, so I just thought he worked for the city," said Gregory Howie, a street artist.
Deadline Hollywood says the man identified himself as Jaime Otis. Witnesses say he wanted them to know he'd be auctioning off pieces.
"He said that he was going to sell it. He didn't say how he was going to sell it, but he said that the money that he makes off of it, he's going to give it to the organization of the women that have been abused by Donald Trump," Howie said.
According to another witness Carlton Enoch, the vandalism suspect's motive may have been personal.
"Because of Donald Trump's affiliation with women, or something like that, that his family was affected, and that he was out here for revenge," Enoch said.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce released the following statement from its president and CEO Leron Gubler regarding the vandalism:
"The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an institution celebrating the positive contributions of the inductees. 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."
By midday Wednesday, repairs on Trump's star were already underway. However, the repairs were not expected to be completed for several days, according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Trump's star is located on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue, right across the street from the El Capitan Theatre.
Trump's star has been targeted by vandals in the past, but this is the worst damage it has seen. It has also been used by a street artist, who built a tiny wall around the star back in July.
"Donald Trump's star, I have to clean it usually three times a day, like that's the first one I always have to clean out of all Hollywood Strip," said Omar Ruvalcaba, a Hollywood Alliance maintenance worker.
LAPD says when caught, the suspect will face felony charges.
"Because it is a felony, could be prison time, any felony is punishable by more than a year in state prison," a police officer at the scene told Eyewitness News.
Police also said the photographer filming at the time of the vandalism is being considered a witness.
