Cumming Vandals Cut, Drag Tree Across Hwy 20

Cumming Police are expected to file charges on Friday against four people involved in cutting down a 30 foot Bradford pear tree.

Sgt. Bryan Zimbardi tells WSB it happened on June 2nd, in front of a business in the heart of the city.

"The two males proceeded to cut down a tree in the parking lot of Southern Cinema Design.  They then tied the tree to trailer hitch of an older model F-150, pulled out of the parking lot, down Highway 20," said Zimbardi.

The whole thing was caught on the Jarred Wallace's store surveillance video.

"We were kind of laughing our butts off.  It was pretty funny to watch the video," Wallace told Channel 2 Action News.

 Zimbardi says there were several close calls and although no humans were hurt, a neighbor's pet was not so lucky.

"The tree trunk got hooked on a curb in front of Sherwin Williams, which broke the rope they were towing it with, and then they bolted down Woodland Drive at a high rate of speed and they ran over someone's cat," said Zimbardi.

All of this happened in the middle of late rush hour traffic.

"They very clearly had zero regard for the motoring public on Highway 20, which is one of our busiest streets," said Zimbardi.

Zimbardi says Stanley Hendrix Junior and Raymond Solano claim they were paid to remove the tree.

Zimbardi says if they can verify the story with the owner of the tree, the two will face numerous traffic violations and will be charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct.

"If they did not have permission to remove the tree, then the dollar amount of the damage to replace the tree would determine whether or not they're charged with criminal damage misdemeanor or criminal damage felony," said Zimbardi.

Two women, who were in the truck with them, Samantha Hendrix and Jennifer Word will be charged with party to a crime.

"I can tell you it's one of the strangest incidents that I've had to report on," said Zimbardi.