Sausalito stolen tree caper confounds city
A stolen tree taken from Dunphy Park in Sausalito has city officials baffled about a motive or suspect.
The tree in question is a juvenile Catalina ironwood tree. Officials believe it was dug up and removed sometime between March 18 and March 21.
The tree, which is owned by the city, is about 6 feet high. It was planted into a wood-chipped area near the foot of Litho Street at the intersection with Bridgeway.
Mayor Janelle Kellman said the tree was planted about 18 months ago during the city’s Dunphy Park improvement project. The $3.8 million effort included the removal of lead-contaminated soil, which was discovered during the rehabilitation. The park operated as a municipal burn dump from the 1930s to 1950s.
Kellman said the tree is estimated to be between $750 and $1,000 in value. A photo provided by the city showed the tree from May 2021. At the time it was just a young, bushy sapling and was just feet from a city sign that read: “Welcome to Dunphy Park.”
Kellman said the city had not had trees stolen in the past, though rose bushes had been taken from Gabrielson Park.
“Our maintenance staff takes great pride in providing improvements to our parks by planting and caring for the plants that are installed,” she said. “It is unfortunate that this vandalism has occurred and we hope that future destruction of city property does not happen.”
Lt. Stacy Gregory said the police were still in the information-gathering stage. She said Monday the city had not received any tips and a suspect had not been identified.
“It was certainly unusual. It’s not something that we see every day,” she said. “As of now it’s still a mystery. It’s just kind of one of those weird random cases.”
Officials found the stakes that supported the tree thrown into a nearby tidal inlet, a city announcement said.
The city believes the removal of the tree would have required a pick or shovel to extricate the roots without damaging them. The city has warned the theft may have even occurred during the day, with the thieves appearing to be city or contract employees to passersby.
The city reported the tree stolen on March 25 in its weekly newsletter. The police and the public works departments said they were seeking assistance from the public in helping to identify suspects.
Kellman said the city had also received word that trees were stolen from Westamerica Bank at Bridgeway and Harbor Drive. She said the city did not have exact details, other than the bank recently improved its landscaping.
Members of the public who observed work or suspicious activity in the area of Dunphy Park during those dates should contact the police department at 415-289-4170.