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Pomona Artist Suspected In 'Hollyweed' Prank Surrenders To Police

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A local artist who says he altered the iconic Hollywood sign voluntarily surrendered to police Monday, officials said.

Zachary Cole Fernandez, 30, was booked on suspicion of trespassing and was released on $1,000 bail around 2:40 p.m., according to jail records.

Zachary-Fernandez

Fernandez last week took credit on social media for the stunt.

Police say a trespass occurred at the base of the sign in the Hollywood Hills during the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

Although the sign was not damaged, several letters were wrapped with tarps, which briefly changed the sign's appearance to read "Hollyweed."

Detectives last week said they would not arrest the prankster on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing, but would instead present their findings to the district attorney's office.

City Councilman David Ryu said he is pushing to have Fernandez prosecuted.

"The Hollywood Sign has seen many alteration attempts over the years for people seeking notoriety or commercial gain," Ryu said. "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."

Fernandez is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 15.

(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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