Sex and The Sapplings: What Police Say Happened at Wilson Farm Park

Police say a booze and drug-fueled rampage by a man who wanted to have sex with his girlfriend in Wilson Farm Park was behind $6,000 dollars worth of damage to newly-planted saplings last month.

Nathanael Timothy Lent, 20, of Berwyn was arraigned Friday morning in Chesterbrook District Court on a Felony Agricultural Vandlaism charge and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.

It's a case that had members of the public and tree-planting volunteers scratching their heads about why anyone would want to knock down and uproot dozens of saplings that had been planted on a late September Saturday by a group of volunteers as part of a "Treedyffrin" project in Wilson Farm Park.  The trees were planted in two areas near the putting green and a children's playset in the park. The site is several hundred yards from District Court 15-4-01 in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center where Lent was arraigned.

A Tipster Gives Up Lent

One explanation for the reason behind the vandalism came to light this week in court papers filed by Tredyffrin Township Police.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case, Tredyffrin Police detectives were led to Lent by an anonymous source on October 24, one week after the damage had been discovered by public works crews in Wilson Farm Park . "The anonymous source advised that Nathanael Lent had damaged trees during a drunk rage on an unspecified night."

When questioned by detectives, police  say "Lent denied any involvement in the vandalism that occurred." 

In the affidavit, the Tredyffrin detective who questioned Lent says "As I explained certain criminal offenses to Lent that could be charged at the conclusion of the investigation he said 'so if I say I did it, what am I gonna be looking at?' I asked Lent if he was admitting to damaging trees in Wilson Park. Lent said 'I didn't do it but I might have been there.' "

Angry, High, and 'Really, Really F**ked Up'

According to the detectives account in the affidavit "Lent later admitted to damaging trees in Wilson Park and there were no other individuals involved.  Lent admitted that he and his former girlfriend went to Wilson Park to have sex and that he was 'high on Xanax and drunk.' Lent stated that he became upset after discovering that trees had been planted in a location where he would normally have sex. Lent admitted that he 'knocked over some trees' as a result, stating that we was 'really really f**ked up.' Lent prepared a written statement in which he admitted to the vandalism, advising that he 'kicked down a significant number of trees between 12 and 1 a.m..' "

Lent is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charges in mid-December in Chesterbrook District Court.  He is free on $10,000 unsecured bond.

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• Park Tree Vandal Arrested, Police Say