Getty A GoFundMe site has been created to help bail out Austin Clay, who is accused of destroying Trump's Hollywood star.
Austin Clay was identified as the man accused of taking a pickax to President Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and now some people are rallying behind him with a GoFundMe page. You can see photos of the damage throughout this story.
Clay was named as the accused vandal by a reporter for BuzzFeed News and The Press Enterprise. Both cited the Los Angeles Police Department as the source.
This is where you can find the GoFundMe page that was launched to help Clay. The page was created by Carina Hull, of Aptos, California.
The GoFundMe page reads: “On July 24th 2018, patriot Austin Clay destroyed rapist Donald trump’s Hollywood star on the walk of fame. Bail is set at $20,000 for felony vandalism. Let’s get Austin out today.” (Note: Donald Trump denies the sexual assault accusations made against him.)
However, reaction to Clay’s alleged actions was not all positive. The president of the Chamber of Commerce that sponsors the Wall of Fame in Hollywood has spoken out against it, and one man, Gregg Donovan, showed up to guard what’s left of the demolished star, while toting a Trump 2020 sign.
Gregg Donovan (C) holds a Trump 2020 sign as he stands near President Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 25, 2018 in Hollywood, California. The star was vandalized overnight.
The president for the Chamber of Commerce that runs the Walk of Fame urged people to show respect for the law.
“The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an institution celebrating the positive contributions of the inductees,” said Leron Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, to The Press Enterprise. “When people are unhappy with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways than to vandalize a California State landmark. Our democracy is based on respect for the law. People can make a difference by voting and not destroying public property.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Clay Is Accused of Hiding a Pickax Inside a Guitar Case
Donald Trump’s star completely destroyed along the Hollywood walk of fame.
Jail records identify the Trump star suspect as Austin Mikel Clay. He is 24-years-old.
The vandal struck on the morning of July 25, 2018, and he hid the pickax inside a guitar case, according to NBC 4. Trump earned his star on the Walk of Fame when he was on The Apprentice.
Austin Clay is being held on $20,000 bail on a felony charge, according to jail records. He was booked on suspicion of vandalism. Here is the inmate record for Clay:
Clay, in an interview with TMZ, defended his actions and bragged that celebrities like Robert DeNiro have given him support. He told TMZ he was happy he took a pickax to the star and said he was motivated by the immigrant family separation issue.
California voter registration requires a partial social security number to look up records. A Facebook page linked to Austin Clay in online records was deleted.
According to CNN, police said Clay didn’t reveal a motive to them.
NBC 4 found a witness to the incident named David Palmer, who says he told the man, “I’m like, ‘Why are you hitting that star? What did Donald Trump do to you?’ Then he went around the corner and I think he left.”
The call came into police around 3:33 a.m. Pictures showed that the pickax was left behind at the scene.
People Picked Up Pieces of the Wrecked Star as Souvenirs But Donovan Came to Guard It
People are now taking pieces of the rubble from President Trump’s destroyed star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. @NBCLA
Other people were picking up pieces of the rubble as souvenirs. According to CBS Los Angeles, “graffiti was added to the destroyed star then covered with a chin-up bar just a few hours later.” Gregg Donovan decided to “stand guard over the star,” the television station reported. Donovan carried a Trump 2020 sign.
Austin Clay, whose hometown is not yet known, may have called the police – on himself.
“Multiple people — including police — tell me a man walked up with a guitar case and pulled out the pickaxe. Then, it’s believed, he called police himself to report it, but left the scene before they got here. Now, he’s nowhere to be found,” NBC LA reporter Jonathan Gonzalez wrote on Twitter.
According to Gonzalez, the suspect turned himself in to Beverly Hills police.
Lt. Karen Leong, of the LAPD’s Hollywood Division, told The Los Angeles Times that the man “called police and advised he had vandalized Donald Trump’s star and basically called on himself and said, ‘See you soon.’”
He eventually walked into Beverly Hills police headquarters and turned himself in, the newspaper reported.
“I just seen a guy going to town on, I guess, the ground or whatever,” Patricia Cox said to CBS Los Angeles. “I didn’t know what was going on.