LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles residents awoke early Sunday to see that one thing, at least, looked different in the New Year: the Hollywood sign.

Armed with four tarpaulins, a prankster had climbed Mount Lee under the cover of night to edit the iconic landmark, which was changed to “HOLLYWeeD.”

Security footage recorded at 3 a.m. Sunday showed a “lone individual” climbing up the mountain, scaling the sign’s ladders and hanging tarpaulins over the O’s to change them to E’s, said Sgt. Guy Juneau of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Security Services Division.

The surveillance footage showed a man dressed in black, tactical-style gear. One of the tarpaulins was decorated with a peace sign, and another with a heart.

Because the sign was not damaged, the incident will be investigated as misdemeanor trespassing.

Some Angelenos joked that the alteration reflected California’s recent vote to legalize recreational marijuana.

The change is far from the first time the Hollywood sign has been edited by artists and pranksters.

The sign, erected in 1923 as an advertisement for a housing development, originally read “Hollywoodland.”

On New Year’s Day of 1976, the sign became “HOLLYWeeD” for the first time — the work of a California State University, Northridge student.

In 1987, the sign became “Holywood” to mark a visit by Pope John Paul II. But the prank was undone before the pontiff arrived in Los Angeles.

Tired of the unsanctioned changes, city officials eventually enhanced security, including a surveillance system that captured Saturday’s prankster.