HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC)
The Residents of Los Angeles woke on Sunday morning to find the iconic Hollywood sign had been altered to read "Hollyweed" in an apparent New Year's Day prank.
The sign was changed to 'Hollyweed' at about 3 a.m. by a male suspect, who was recorded on surveillance video, said Lt. Guy Juneau of the Los Angeles Police Department's Security Services Division.
Dressed in full black, the unidentified vandal scaled Mount Lee, made his way over the fence and then he climbed onto each of the landmark's "O" letters, the lieutenant said. He then draped those letters with black tarps so they each appeared as a lowercase "e."
The suspect remained at the landmark for hours after the incident. If the suspect is arrested, he would face a trespassing charge.
The agency also notified the city's Department of General Services, whose officers patrol near Griffith Park and the area near the sign.
As puzzled tourists looked on from a nearby vantage point, park rangers removed the tarps and restored the proper text's visibility by 11:15 a.m.
"I thought we came to see the Hollywood sign, not the 'Hollyweed' sign," said Bruce Quinn. "But hey, it's OK with me."
’The Cannabist’ an online newsletter said that, similarly in 1976 the famous sign was edited to read "Hollyweed". The lettering was also changed again after 10 yearss as part of a publicity campaign for a movie.
On Sunday early morning, Alvin Kim and two fellow hikers were among those who posed for photos with the revised landmark in the background, which Alvin Kim described as "pretty cool."
AMandeep
