It has been over five years since Harvey Updyke infamously poisoned the trees at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn and once again the trees have been under attack. Saturday night after the big win against Louisiana State, Auburn fans celebrated by rolling the trees at Toomer’s Corner just like they do after every win. The man believed to start the fire was Jochen Wiest from Germany. Witnesses at the time of the fire noticed he was with others who were speaking German.

He lives in Auburn so that just about clears it up that he wasn’t a true Alabama fan, because if he was he would not be living in such a place. He also was probably not a LSU fan either. He was most likely a drunk man trying to have some fun. A little too much fun. Nonetheless what Wiest did was wrong and he should be punished.

Of course the motives for his actions have not been uncovered, but it’s probably likely that the group of men he was with encouraged him to do it as a prank. There are reports that say the tree may still be able to be preserved. Full details on whether the tree will be able to grow back or not will be next Spring. At least they put that tree out of its misery. Nobody should vandalize any property over a football game. Alabamians do take football pretty seriously which is understandable but it’s not worth committing a crime over.

Since Saturday he has been with first-degree criminal mischief, which is a felony.

Wiest has been accused of causing $15,000 dollars in damages and had no known affiliation with Auburn University. He has since been ordered not to leave the state by an Auburn Municipal Court Judge. Hopefully he will learn his lesson after he faces the consequences.