Someone cutting city trees on Albuquerque's west side

December 18, 2010

someone has been chopping trees on albuquerque's westside -- and it's not for christmas. city officials think it could be a neighbor -- cutting the city trees to preserve their backyard view of the sandia mountains. jeff maher has the story. if you live in one of these homes along golf course just south of paseo -- this is the spectacular view you get, every morning -- and every night. and that could be the reason why someone living in those homes decided to cut the upper-half of these three ornamental pear trees. "the top half of the tree is gone! this is not some kid! this is someone with a saw and a ten to twelve foot ladder cutting the top of the tree off" it happened sometime this week. now, the trees, once pleasantly planted in the median, now have become a crime scene. "and the trees are not cheap, they're a thousand bucks a pop, an arborist will be out here soon to determine if the trees are now dead, if that happens, the city will just plant some new ones in" "the trees that we're going to replace them with are going to be just as tall and just as full" city officials are not accusing any homeowners just yet. and they have not talked to any of them. so...we did. "we're trying to figure out who cut down the trees back there on the median along golf course. oh, i don't know! it wasn't me! it wasn't you? it wasn't me" "do you know who would want to cut trees down?" "i didn't cut the trees down, i don't know anyone who cut the trees down. no idea? noooo! did you see them back there? i didn't!" "is there a christmas grinch on this street who cut down these trees? not that i know of! all of your neighbors are friendly, they wouldn't do that? i would hope not." jeff maher. kob. eyewitness news 4. city officials don't want the 'westside tree- chopper' to be thrown in jail. they just want the person to pay for new trees. if you have any information on who may have cut the trees along golf course -- call 3-1-1.