Man arrested in the case of the ‘HOLLYWeeD’ sign
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The famed Hollywood sign is seen altered to read “HOLLYWeeD,” in Los Angeles. Los Angeles police said in a statement that 30-year-old Zachary Cole Fernandez was arrested in connection with the vandalism.
LOS ANGELES >> Los Angeles police have made a “HOLLYWeeD” bust.
Zachary Cole Fernandez, 30, was arrested today, just over a week after a prankster used white tarps to make the “HOLLYWOOD” sign read “HOLLYWeeD,” the LAPD said in a statement.
Fernandez turned himself in with his attorney and was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing, police said.
The prankster was dressed in black and was recorded by security cameras in the area changing the sign early New Year’s Day.
Fernandez, an artist, had already claimed credit for the stunt in a Vice magazine interview, but police had not previously confirmed his involvement.
Fernandez told the Vice he had heard someone pulled the same prank in the 1970s, and he sought to repeat it to “bring positivity into the world.”
Fernandez will be released on his own recognizance and must return to court Feb. 15, police said.
Contact information to request comment could not be found for Fernandez or his attorney.
David Ryu, the city councilman for the area of the Hollywood sign, said such pranks “deplete the resources of our valuable public safety personnel, in both responding to the prank and in responding to the increased crowds and copycat attempts that these incidents generate.”
He added, “While the Hollywood Sign is an internationally recognized icon, it is located in a large urban wilderness park next to thousands of residential homes.”
9 responses to “Man arrested in the case of the ‘HOLLYWeeD’ sign”
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No permanent damage to the sign. Looks like they had to dig deep to come up with the trespassing charge. Community service to discourage copy cats, then move on.
Yeah, the last time it happened was in 1976, so they have every reason to be concerned about copycats.
Opposition to pakalolo in a State that just passed a resolution legalizing it?
That was before the widespread use of social media and the internet. Now that it’s been highly publicized, higher probability of copycats.
Yeah, if one can consider this an act of “civil disobedience” then Misdemeanor Tresspass seems like a proper and proportional response.
I don’t know about digging deep to charge him with trespassing. The area where around the sign is fenced off with signs all over prohibiting entry. Trespassing is the first charge they can easily book him under. Defacement of property is likely the next charge they’ll tack on. Good thing this kid isn’t getting charged here as they would offer him only probation after he immediately pulls out his voter registration card and shows the judge that he bubbled in “D” for his party affiliation.
In the sanctuary city of Los Angeles, I’m surprised he didn’t go all the way out and change it to “La Raza”! Speaking of weed, Mexican cartels are angry at CA for legalizing it, since the weed there is so pure and good that dope dealers are smuggling weed from CA into Mexico! haaaaaaaaa
Hollywood is hollyweed….most people know that….
And other than it being VERY funny; Who Cares!