Early Wednesday morning, someone obliterated President Donald Trump‘s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A suspect, who allegedly used a pickaxe to demolish the star, turned himself in later on, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Witnesses said they saw a man show up at the site at approximately 3:00 a.m. California time with a guitar case and remove the tool from it before going to work on wrecking the thing, local ABC7 reported. Police said the suspect surrendered to police in Beverly Hills at 4:30 a.m. The suspect’s identity has not been disclosed.
This is not the first time that someone has destroyed President Trump’s star on the Hollywood landmark. In the days leading up to the 2016 presidential election, someone wrecked the star with a pickaxe and a sledgehammer. It is unknown if the current suspect is the same perpetrator. James Otis claimed responsibility for the 2016 incident. At the time, Otis told Deadline that he first planned on removing the star altogether, bringing it to New York City, and selling it. His idea was apparently to use the proceeds to help pay legal expenses of women who had accused Trump of sexual abuse or misconduct. Otis failed to remove the star, and simply ended up damaging it. It was later repaired.
Trump, whose most well-known role in entertainment was his stint as host of NBC’s The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, first got the star in January 2007. In the past, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce faced petitions to remove it, but they said it will stay put.
[Image via ABC7 screengrab]
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