Prospect Heights Tree Branch Attacker Arrested

If you have been following the saga of the crazy Prospect Heights / Prospect Park tree branch breaker on Brooklynian's forums, you'll know that there is a guy named Steve -- who lives on Sterling Place -- who walks the neighborhood ripping tree branches off of street trees. Occasionally he's arrested but is always released and soon back to his branch-ripping ways.

Countless Brooklyn residents have called 311, reported him to the Parks Department, called the 77th precinct, chased the guy, complained to Councilwoman Letitia James and have written long, impassioned posts on Brooklynian since April asking why an obviously deranged guy can't be picked up and either charged with something or sent somewhere for treatment.

phcfarm has posted photos of dozens of mutilated trees. More photos on Brooklynian.

Now the New York Times confirms a Brooklynian post that Steve Maynard, 35, was arrested in Prospect Park on Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief. The violation could result in up to $15,000 in fines and up to a year in jail.

Commenters on Brooklynian are urging officials not to let this guy out again.

While the Times reports that the anger against him has softened somewhat since his arrest, some Brooklynian commenters dispute that.

One, named MHA, writes, "I have NO sympathy for his illness. I am terribly angry at Crazy Steve. I am going to invest what little money I have in a tree to plant one where he destroyed one, and I swear, if he touches it, I am not going to go through any of this bullshit again. I am just going to walk up to him and start rockin' and rollin'."


Photo courtesy of John-Morgan, Creative Commons license


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