The decimation of desert trees and vegetation along a Scottsdale-owned wash has infuriated neighbors and led to a criminal police investigation.

The vegetation was chopped down last month in the wash northeast of Cactus Road and 84th Street that's popular with neighborhood walkers, leaving a large barren area in an otherwise lush natural setting with birds and wildlife.

At stake is whether anyone will be criminally charged for tearing out more than a dozen trees, bushes and other plants in the public wash running between the backyards of sprawling single-family home lots.

"We are investigating to see who is responsible and what their motivation was," police Sgt. Mark Clark said. "Once we get that, we'll run it by the city prosecutor."

The trees were chopped down primarily alongside the property line of Sherry Jones, who called the city twice last month to report trees were being cut down on the other side of her backyard fence. She said the cutting occurred on two separate occasions.

"We feel violated that someone would have a blatant disregard for nature," Jones said.

Jones suspects people in the neighborhood believe she is responsible, but she said that's not the case.

Jones said the trees provided a sound barrier, privacy and helped offset the summer heat and only added to her property values. Those trees also did not block her main view of the McDowell Mountains from her backyard. She said she hopes mature native trees will be replanted.

A neighbor has a much smaller stretch of fence that abuts the damaged area. That homeowner could not be reached for comment.

Area resident Keith Nichols said he was upset to find the trees chopped down.

"I came back the next day and everything was trimmed about a foot from the ground. They just left everything laying there," Nichols said. "A lot of them were paloverdes and slow-growing trees, home to quail, javelinas, rabbits and coyotes.

"I'd like to see them make them replace them all," he said.

Scottsdale spokesman Pat Dodds said the city can seek restitution for the damage if someone is charged for cutting them down.

Code enforcement manager Malcolm Hankins said that could include replanting the trees.

"That would be the outcome we'd be looking for, to have the area revegetated," Hankins said.

After the trees were cut down, the code enforcement department did issue a notice of violation to Jones for the leftover debris.

Jones said even though she was not responsible, she spent $1,000 to remove the debris outside her home for bulk trash pickup in order to avoid a $2,500 daily fine.