Suspect Arrested After Iconic Hollywood Sign Changed to ‘Hollyweed’
A suspect has been arrested in the recent change of the iconic Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, PEOPLE confirms.
Zachary Cole Fernandez, 30, voluntarily surrendered to L.A. police on Sunday night “with his attorneys by his side,” a police spokesman tells PEOPLE.
Fernandez was arrested on one count of trespassing, a misdemeanor, the spokesman says. The investigation is ongoing and it is unclear if Fernandez is the only suspect in the sign’s modification, according to police, who previously said they had surveillance footage of the incident.
Fernandez and his ex-wife, Sarah Fern, previously told Vice that they were responsible. He is an artist known as “Jesus Hands,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Authorities allege Fernandez slipped past the notice of nearby officers to drape the “O”s on the sign, early on New Year’s Day, and turn them into “E”s — “Hollyweed,” an apparent reference to both California’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana and a similar stunt in the ’70s.
The Hollywood Hills landmark has a history of being altered, including even to Hollyweed.
Fernandez has not appeared in court to enter a plea to his charge.
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The L.A. police spokesman says it’s unclear if Fernandez remains in custody, though the L.A. Times reports he was released on $1,000 bail. County court officials tell PEOPLE his attorney information is not immediately available.
Fernandez is reportedly scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 15. He could not immediately be reached Monday.
“Sometimes in order to create that conversation, you have to be okay with the consequences,” Fernandez told Vice before he was arrested. “I’m very proactive about marijuana.”
“It was something to smile and laugh out loud about — just lift their spirits and let them live because 2016 was a crazy year, dude,” he told BuzzFeed.
But Fernandez’s was not the only opinion on the sign’s brief changes. “The Hollywood Sign has seen many alteration attempts over the years for people seeking notoriety or commercial gain,” Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu said in a statement, according to the L.A. Times.
“Pranks of this nature deplete the resources of our valuable public safety personnel, in both responding to the prank and in responding to the increased crowds and copycat attempts that these incidents generate.”
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