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A man who admitted damaging trees in West Jordan last summer has been sentenced to probation and completion of mental health court.

Wesley James Pettis, 24, was arrested in August after admitting to damaging four trees in the city, where more than 60 trees had been damaged or destroyed.

Charged in 3rd District Court with one count of second-degree felony criminal mischief, Pettis last week pleaded guilty to a reduced class A misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.

Judge Vernice Trease sentenced Pettis to 24 months probation, which includes paying $6,568 in restitution. The judge suspended a one year jail term, but ordered Pettis to complete mental health court, where defendants must stay on their medications, attend therapy and counseling sessions, and show up in court on a weekly basis in the beginning.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Tuesday that mental health court was a good fit for Pettis, who is legally competent but has a mental illness that is treatable with medications.

"Often, criminal conduct is a consequence of the mental illness," Gill said, adding that mental health court is designed to "wrap services around you, in and out of court, 24-7," resulting in a better outcome for the individual and the community.

Charging documents state that between July 20 and Aug. 26, someone walked down the sidewalk in the area of 8800 South and 2200 West, breaking limbs from the small trees lining the streets.

West Jordan Urban Forester Ty Nielsen has put the worth of each tree of the 60 trees, on average, at $1,642, charges state.

On Aug. 29, police were called to an apartment complex on a report of a man who was acting suspiciously, and who closely resembled the description of the person suspected in the tree vandalisms.

Pettis, "who appeared to have some mental problems," admitted to intentionally damaging trees four trees, charges state, but said they hurt him first.

He told officers "the branches were low and hurting him, so he would break them," but "while breaking the branches, it would hurt his hands [inflicting cuts and gashes], so he damaged more of them," charges state.

In the back of Pettis' truck, police found several branches from trees similar in size to those that had been broken, charges state.