Park Tree Vandal Arrested, Police Say

Tredyffrin Township Police say a 20-year-old Berwyn man is responsible for uprooting or knocking over dozens of newly planted trees in Wilson Farm Park.

Tredyffrin Police say Nathaniel Lent, 20, of the 400 block of Irish Road in Berwyn was arrested Wednesday and charged him with Agricultural Vandalism, which is a third degree Felony.

According to police "on Thursday, October 17th, 2013 at approximately, 9 a.m., the Tredyffrin Township Police Department was contacted about significant damage to approximately 100 newly planted trees in Wilson Farm Park. The Tredyffrin Township Public Works Department made the discovery of the damaged trees, recently planted by many volunteers with the Tredyffrin Township Environmental Council, had been broken, uprooted or pushed over sometime overnight. The assessed damage for the spree was listed at $6,000.00.

On Wednesday Tredyffrin Township Police Detectives arrested Nathaniel Lent. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Analisa Sondergaard in Chesterbrook District Court and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, December 6, 2013 at 9 a.m. Details of how police tracked the crime to Lent were no immediately known.

Tredyffrin Township Police Superintendent Anthony Giaimo said “It is unfortunate that a positive community program to enhance the health and beauty of our area was targeted by this individual’s destructive criminal actions.  I expect that he will shortly answer for his actions in a court of law.  I commend the true caring and hard work of the police department, specifically Detective Robert Bostick in solving this “quality of life” criminal case.”