Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — A Glendale, California man has been charged with vandalizing President Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Austin Mikel Clay, 24, is accused of using a pickaxe on July 25 to smash the star, located on Hollywood Boulevard. Police say Clay left the scene before turning himself in the following day.
Clay was charged with one felony count of vandalism and his bail set at $20,000. The offense carries a possible maximum sentence of three years in jail. He’s expected to be arraigned on August 15.
The president’s star has been vandalized several times, including being spray-painted with a swastika and damaged with a sledgehammer, both during his White House campaign. It’s also been the site of numerous demonstrations.
Following this latest incident, the West Hollywood City Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday night to ask the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the Walk of Fame, to remove Trump’s star. They face a tough battle, though. An attempt several years ago to get Bill Cosby’s star removed before his sex assault conviction failed, with Hollywood Chamber of Commerce CEO Leron Gubler arguing, “Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
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