Man accused of taking sledgehammer to Trump's Hollywood star arrested

A man suspected of using a sledgehammer and pickax early Wednesday to destroy Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been arrested, Los Angeles police announced Thursday.

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Authorities did not immediately identify the man. Capt. Cory Palka of the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Division confirmed the arrest on Twitter Thursday morning.

Officer Andrew Chambers identified the arrested man as Jamie Otis, according to The Associated Press. He faces a charge of felony vandalism.

Otis identified himself to Deadline Hollywood on Wednesday morning as he smashed into Trump's Hollywood star with a sledgehammer and a pickax.

"I think I'll have to handle the consequences of what I've done," he told Deadline Hollywood later Wednesday. "I will gladly pay the money if I have to, and if I must go to jail, I will."

Under California law, Otis can face up to three years in state prison for felony vandalism along with a fine of up to $10,000.

In a video posted on TMZ, Otis said he intended to take the Republican presidential nominee's star and sell it at auction to benefit the women who have come out to accuse Trump of sexual assault. Trump has denied the allegations.

"The star was just too difficult," Otis said. "The concrete was very strong and I would have had to stay there for an hour. I really wanted to do this. I think it's a symbol for all of us who are against sexual assault, and I don't think Donald Trump deserves that star any longer."

Trump was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his work on "The Apprentice."

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Work has already begun to repair the broken star, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has condemned the vandalism.

"The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an institution celebrating the positive contributions of the inductees," Leron Gubler, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said Wednesday in a statement. "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."