Vandals Target Towering Trees In Highlands Ranch
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) - Some Highlands Ranch residents are upset after someone sawed off the tops of four pine trees.
The vandals struck during the day on July 1 in the Remington Bluffs subdivision and did about $20,000 of damage. Sections about 30 feet in size were taken down and stumps about 10 feet high remain.
Residents described the trees as the pride of the neighborhood.
"Who could do something like this? Who could think that they could go onto somebody else's property and cut off half of their trees," said Dodie Simmons, who lives on the property where the trees are.
A woman named Mary who didn't wish to share her last name told CBS4 she heard the sound of chainsaws and went outside. When she looked over, she says she saw two men yelling to each other near the trees. She says she didn't think anything of it until the men left.
Simmons and some other neighbors think the culprit may be someone from Blue Mountain, the neighboring subdivision. They told CBS4 the 40 foot trees obstructed the view of the mountains for some people in that neighborhood.
"I'm not going to accuse anyone, but it would seem like they would be a likely suspect," Simmons said.
Douglas County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the case and so far have no suspects.
"We don't know, but obviously we've got an ongoing investigation," a police spokesman told CBS4.
A resident who has lived in the neighborhood for a long time told CBS4 the same trees that were targeted this month also had about three feet sawed off them about 15 years ago.
Anyone with helpful information about the case is asked to call the Douglas County Sheriff's office.
