It's election season in America, which means things can get pretty hectic, and it's especially true for any Presidential election year, as people go back and forth on who to vote for. In 2020, voters have been expressing their support either for President Donald Trump or his opponent and former Vice President Joe Biden. Of course, it's just as easy for people to voice their lack of support for the candidates, and in that vein, a man was recently arrested for completely destroying Trump's Hollywood star, a crime he's actually already been arrested for in the past.
James Otis surrendered to authorities on charges of felony vandalism after it was first discovered that Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star had been damaged beyond all recognition. The crime was committed the morning of Friday, October 2, and TMZ reported authorities were indeed suspicious of Otis, given certain camera footage, as well as a recent social media post in which he directly stated his intention to destroy the star.
Otis is currently being held in jail on a $20,000 bond, and as of Monday, October 5, was still incarcerated. According to various sources, he committed the deed while dressed as The Incredible Hulk.
Otis was the same person who first made headlines for destroying the star back in 2016, which was also an election year. Otis said he committed the crime to protest Donald Trump's candidacy in the election, and he was sentenced to 3 years probation. As well, he was given an order to pay the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce a total of $4,400 for damage repairs, with the current estimation of the latest damage to Donald Trump's star said to be over $3,000.
Repair on President Donald Trump's Hollywood star is already underway, though it remains to be seen how long those repairs will last. That particular star has been vandalized quite a bit since the 2016 Presidential election, whether it be physical damage or defacing by artists or other means. It was announced back in 2018 that The West Hollywood City Council had voted to have the star permanently removed, but two years later, it's still there and being repaired every time someone decides to vandalize it.
Donald Trump's Hollywood Star has been in place since January 2007, 9 years before he would become President of the United States. Trump's profile on the official website for the Walk of Fame says the star was awarded due to his connections to the Miss Universe pageants, as well as his success with the former NBC reality series The Apprentice. The President also had a fair amount of television and movie cameos over the years, though it is not mentioned whether or not that played a factor in him receiving the star.
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