This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A man suspected of damaging trees in West Jordan has been charged with criminal mischief.
Wesley James Pettis, 24, was arrested Sunday after allegedly admitting to damaging four trees in the city.
On Friday, Pettis was charged in 3rd District Court with one count of second-degree felony criminal mischief, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
No court dates were immediately set.
Charges state that between July 20 and Aug. 26, someone has walked down the sidewalk in the area of 8800 South and 2200 West breaking limbs from small trees lining the streets.
In all, more than 60 trees were damaged and many were destroyed. West Jordan Urban Forester Ty Nielsen put the worth of each tree, on average, at $1,642, charges state.
On Aug. 29, police were called to an apartment complex on a report of a male who was acting suspiciously and noted that he closely resembled the description of the person suspected in the tree vandalisms.
Pettis, "who appeared to have some mental problems," admitted to intentionally damaging trees, charges state, but said they hurt him first.
He allegedly told officers "the branches were low and hurting him, so he would break them," but "while breaking the branches, it would hurt his hands [inflicting cuts and gashes], so he damaged more of them."
Pettis admitted to intentionally damaging at least four of them, while pointing toward 2200 West, charges state.
In the back of Pettis' truck, located near the Jordan River, police found several tree branches from trees similar in size to those that had been broken, charges state.