A $147,000 reward is being offered in Lake Tahoe’s famously affluent Incline Village for information leading to the person responsible for poisoning nearly 30 landmark pine trees.
Since 2022, 28 trees at Burnt Cedar Beach have been deliberately damaged in a series of suspected vandalism incidents.
Three attacks have been reported this year. In May, four trees began releasing a powerful smell described as diesel fuel. A similar odor was later detected near two additional trees in July.
About a week later, in August, investigators discovered that another 10 trees had apparently been poisoned.
“Investigators have documented 28 affected trees across three incidents in the same area and believe the cases are connected. Six trees were damaged in 2022, another six in 2024, and 16 more were discovered this year, resulting in an estimated $300,000 loss,” the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said in August.
Authorities say the perpetrator drilled multiple holes into the trunks before injecting substances intended to kill the trees.
“They bore a hole about this big, and they bore three or four or five holes per tree trunk. And they bore them on an angle, so when they pour the stuff in. You know, it’s really hard to flush out because it’s going down into the center of the trunk,” a member of Friends of Burnt Cedar Beach told ABC 7.
“There were a total of 72 holes drilled in 28 trees. So these people were serious. And three of the 16 that were targeted this summer are already showing significant signs of distress, which means they will likely die,” the community member added.
Friends of Burnt Cedar Beach was formed by local residents and private donors after the poisoning incidents began. The group has pledged $122,000 toward the reward, while the Incline Village General Improvement District is contributing an additional $25,000, bringing the total to $147,000.
The community, sometimes jokingly called “Income Village,” is home to some of America’s wealthiest residents, including Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg, who both own large nearby estates.
