They’re stumped.
In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, there’s been a baffling spike in violent crime aimed at the trendy neighborhood’s most innocent residents: Its trees
It all began this past August in Transmitter Park, a beloved local waterfront green space, when a young magnolia tree had its trunk snapped.
“[It was] crushing for us, because we try so hard,” Elissa Iberti, chair of volunteer group Friends of Transmitter Park, told The Post.
Two more trees in the park, including a crepe myrtle, met similar fates, leaving neighborhood residents angry and confused.
The park isn’t the only scene of the crime. In August, the local news outlet Greenpointers reported that several saplings on Huron Street, which runs three blocks north of Transmitter Park, were also hacked in half.
Then, in late September, the tree killer struck again, cutting down a large tree on the same block. The carnage shocked residents, and Greenpointers noted that there were saw marks and a clean break, strongly suggesting Mother Nature wasn’t responsible for the afflicted deciduous.
“It’s infuriating — this is malice. This is intentional. We can all see that,” said landscaper Rigel Ferrin, a longtime Greenpoint resident who moved upstate last Halloween. “This person is looking for attention. They’re bored, they’re angry, they’re picking on something vulnerable.”
Last week, The Post observed further carnage on Green Street and McGuinness Boulevard, where two more trees inexplicably appeared to have been chopped down — a deeply saddening development.
“Someone took a lot of time to take care of those trees for the years before they were placed on the street,” said Ferrin, who owns a garden design company. “[Then], within a matter of seconds, it’s gone forever.”
The serial killer’s identity is a mystery, but some have theories.
“[People] think it’s likely probably a disgruntled homeowner who is either tired of cleaning their car or maybe there [were] lantern flies in that tree that somebody got tired of having to deal with,” said Greenpointers editor Emma Davey.
Others have theorized that the murderer was inspired by the Noble Street litterer, a cop who religiously dumped reading material on his childhood block for years on end.
As for the murder weapon, nothing has been found, but it would seem to be some sort of handsaw.
“The blade mark looks really, really thin and I would think someone would hear if someone was using anything with an actual motor,” said Friends of Transmitter Park board member Julie Gamble, who’s lived in Greenpoint since 1998.
The Parks Department is aware of the problem and has distributed requests for photos, videos and witness statements in local mailboxes.
“While our investigation is ongoing, we are asking for the community’s help in identifying those responsible for this arborcide,” the department told The Post in a statement
Once the culprit is identified, the Parks Department may charge them with $1,000 for damaging city trees, which is illegal, and fine them $17,500 for the replacement of the trees.
Residents hope whoever is committing the treeson will soon be caught, so the fallen foliage can have justice.
“It’s unsettling,” said Stephanie Gregory, a Friends of Transmitter volunteer and nurse practitioner who’s lived in the area for two years. “There’s, like, this person walking around at night with an ax.”