A man who was accused of vandalizing Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has pleaded no contest to the incident and was sentenced to three years probation, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office officials said Tuesday.
James Otis, 53, was also sentenced to 20 days of Caltrans work and ordered to pay $3,700 to the Hollywood Historic Trust and $700 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
On Oct. 26, just two weeks before Trump was elected president, Otis used a pick axe and a sledgehammer to smash the star, according to the DA’s Office. He also removed a brass medallion from the middle of the star, officials said.
He spoke to the Los Angeles Times about his disdain for the then Republican nominee for president after the incident. He also said in a news conference that he “had to do it.”