A Los Angeles man who got tired of waiting for the city to fix a dangerous intersection decided to grab a paint roller and do it himself – and ended up in handcuffs.
KTLA reporter Ellina Abovian says neighborhood activist Jonathan Hale now faces a misdemeanor vandalism charge after painting his own crosswalks in Westwood to make the streets safer for pedestrians.
When Abovian and her crew arrived on scene, she said they “couldn’t tell the difference” between the lines Hale painted and the official ones painted by the city.
Activist Turns Paint Roller Into Safety Tool
Standing beside the bright white lines he laid down himself, Hale told Ellina Abovian he’s been protesting for safer streets and more effective government for some time.
He explained that his goal isn’t to change traffic rules.
It’s to make existing crosswalks more visible so drivers actually see people crossing.
Hale pointed out that under California Vehicle Code section 275, there is legally a crosswalk there whether it’s painted or not.
“We’re not changing the legal rights of drivers or pedestrians,” he told Abovian.
“We’re just making the crosswalk more visible.”
From a distance, it’s hard to look at the clean white stripes and see “vandalism.”
But in the city’s eyes, that’s exactly what it is.
Arrest On A Westwood Corner
Abovian explains that Hale and a small crew had already finished two crosswalks at the intersection when things suddenly changed.
They were working on the third one when two LAPD officers showed up.
Hale told Abovian the officers put him in handcuffs and arrested him on a vandalism charge because he didn’t have permits and the work wasn’t city-approved.
He emphasized that his previous interactions with police had often been friendly, and that some officers seemed to understand they shared a goal of public safety and safer streets.
In this case, Hale said simply, “The officer was doing his job and he arrested me.”
He’s been cited and released, with a court date set for January 5.
On one level, the law is straightforward: you’re not supposed to alter public streets without authorization.
On another level, it raises an uncomfortable question – what happens when the people following the rules feel like the system is moving too slowly while people are getting hurt?
“Traffic Violence Is A Public Health Crisis”
When Abovian asked Hale why he felt such urgency, he didn’t talk about paint.
He talked about death.
Hale said he saw an ad claiming that guns are the leading cause of death for kids in the United States.
In Los Angeles, he argued, that’s not actually true – car crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the city.
To him, that means “traffic violence is a public health crisis.”
He told Abovian that people have accepted this as some kind of unchangeable part of Los Angeles culture – dangerous streets, speeding traffic, and kids at risk.
“We’ve adopted this sort of stagnancy,” Hale said, where people think it can’t be changed.
But he believes it can change, and that people “really want livable, walkable streets.”
He even pointed to a specific tragedy: a 9-year-old boy killed at an intersection where, he says, a planned roundabout from 2011 was never actually built.
To Hale, that death was “entirely preventable” – and proof that waiting on long-delayed projects can have deadly consequences.
DIY Crosswalks All Over The City
Abovian notes that Westwood isn’t the only place Hale has taken his paint kit.
Hale told her he and his group have painted crosswalks in Sawtelle, Koreatown, the Valley, and other neighborhoods.
He refers to their effort as People’s Vision Zero, a grassroots nod to the city’s own “Vision Zero” pledge to end traffic deaths.
The official program has been around for years, but Hale argues that results on the ground have been too slow.
So his group started doing what he believes the city should have done already: marking crossings, slowing cars, and trying to make drivers pay attention.
He even described their setup to Abovian in detail.
They use stencils, masking tape, and contractor-grade asphalt paint from brands like Valspar to get clean, straight lines.
Abovian half-joked on air that the city might want to hire Hale, because his work looks so professional.
It was a light comment, but it carried a serious edge – if a volunteer activist can make a crosswalk that looks official, why did it take so long for the city to mark it in the first place?
City Hall, Emails, And “Water Under The Bridge”
Anchor Frank Buckley jumped in from the studio with the question viewers were probably already thinking:
Did Hale try working with the city before taking matters into his own hands?
Abovian relayed the question, and Hale said yes.
He explained that after earlier actions in September, he met with city officials and staff, including local offices that he credits with being responsive.
He told Abovian that in at least one area, the city later replaced his DIY crosswalks with official ones and even installed a mini-roundabout that’s slated to be upgraded next year.
But when it came to the mayor’s office, Hale said he ran into silence.
He told Abovian he emailed the mayor’s team multiple times, including a message on December 1 specifically warning them he’d be painting at the corner of Kelton and Broxton.
He says he included a photo and details about what they planned to do.
According to Hale, he got no response before the night of the arrest.
He also told Abovian he had told the city he’d be willing to stop painting if they either publicly condemned his actions as truly harmful or moved quickly to implement the Vision Zero safety improvements he’s been demanding.
For now, he says anything that happened with the mayor’s office in the past is “water under the bridge.”
He still says he wants to work together toward the shared goal of safer streets.
Law, Safety, And Civil Disobedience On Asphalt
On live TV, you could hear the tension between rule-followers and rule-breakers.
Abovian and the anchors made it clear that legally, Hale shouldn’t be painting the streets.
That’s why he’s facing a vandalism charge.
At the same time, the studio anchors admitted they understand the frustration of trying – and failing – to get the city to respond to local safety concerns.
If you live in a big city, it’s a familiar story: emails into a void, slow-moving projects, and “temporary” danger that lasts for years.
Hale chose a form of civil disobedience that’s unusual but very visible.
He didn’t block traffic.
He painted what the law already recognizes as a crosswalk and made it harder for drivers to ignore it.
There’s a real tension here that Ellina Abovian’s reporting captures well.
On one side: the city saying, we’re willing to work with him, but this cannot be done illegally.
On the other: an activist saying, people are dying while we wait.
You don’t have to fully agree with Hale’s tactics to see why his story resonates.
If the city’s own Vision Zero goals are serious, then crosswalks and safe intersections shouldn’t take years – and certainly shouldn’t require a misdemeanor arrest to get attention.
What Happens Next On That Corner
For now, Hale has a court date in January and a vandalism case hanging over him.
The paint he laid down in Westwood is still there, looking nearly identical to the city’s own markings, as Abovian pointed out.
The intersection is, at least visually, safer than it was a week ago.
Whether the legal system treats Hale as a criminal or as a frustrated citizen who crossed a line is still to be seen.
But thanks to Ellina Abovian’s on-the-ground reporting – and Hale’s willingness to speak openly – one thing is clear:
Los Angeles says it wants “livable, walkable streets.”
At this Westwood corner, that promise ended up in the hands of a man with a paint roller, a belief that “traffic violence is a public health crisis,” and just enough courage – or impatience – to do the city’s job for it.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
