A little bit of closure came to the famous Auburn landmark of Toomer’s Corner on Thursday, as the man responsible for lighting one of the area’s oak trees on fire pleaded guilty in county court.
According to the Opelika-Auburn News, Jochen Wiest plead guilty to first-degree criminal mischief and agreed to pay $20,807 in restitution to the state, plus a $1,000 fine and court cost for the case. A German national, Wiest is expected to return home to Europe as a result of the case’s conclusion.
“I’m sorry,” Wiest told the judge in a short statement.
The oak tree was set on fire back in late September after it was rolled following Auburn’s win over SEC rival LSU. Video of Toomer’s Corner released after the incident shows an intoxicated Wiest walking up to some of the toilet paper used to roll the trees, lighting it on fire and then leaving the area.
The good news is that it looks as though the restitution that a remorseful Wiest paid will go toward fully replacing the oak tree -- itself a replacement for one damaged by Alabama fan Harvey Updyke. A statement released by Auburn to the Opelika-Auburn News said that the school intends to continue the tradition of rolling the oaks and looks forward to moving on with things at one of the area’s most important sites.