Vandal Changes Hollywood Sign to 'Hollyweed'

An enterprising vandal decided to ring in the new year by changing the Hollywood sign to read “Hollyweed” on New Year’s Eve, CNN reported. While the prank was not original, it was particularly fitting after November’s election, when Californians voted to make recreational use of marijuana legal for those over 21 years old.

The iconic sign overlooking Los Angeles, Calif. with the word “Hollywood” was altered using tarps to change the O’s into E’s, L.A. Police Officer Christopher Garcia confirmed to CNN. The vandal was caught on security camera footage between midnight and 2 a.m. local time, but police cannot tell his race or height because it was dark and raining.

#hollyweed – that's were I get my mail. #merryjane pic.twitter.com/t5YgjAcEVv

— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) January 1, 2017

Authorities took the tarps down around 2 p.m. eastern time Sunday, which gave the “Hollyweed” sign a life of approximately 9 hours.

“We don’t know who did it but park rangers are going up there very soon to take down the draping that was put on top of the ‘O’ to alter the sign,” promised Estevan Montemayor, a spokesman for L.A. City Councilman David Ryu, whose district includes the Hollywood sign.

While there are sensors in the sign that trigger an alarm for police, the sensors are only in certain areas of the letters, so it is possible to avoid them. “We believe this person came from behind the sign,” Garcia added.

The last time the sign was vandalized to read “Hollyweed” was in 1976, Betsy Isroelit with the Hollywood Sign Trust told CNN.

This is not the first time the Hollywood Sign became the Hollyweed Sign. — Happened in Dec. 1983 (Her-Ex) pic.twitter.com/dVxXyHt1bo

— Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) January 1, 2017