Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned residents of looters and vowed to punish them Wednesday amid reviews of looting within the county as firefighters battle to comprise a number of wildfires raging in Southern California, together with the huge Pacific Palisades hearth.
“While the group rallies to assist each other, we’re additionally conscious of the people who’re focusing on weak victims to preying on this misfortune, searching for to use the vulnerability of those that have already endured a lot,” the DA mentioned in a press release.
“Let it’s clearly identified that those that search to illegally revenue from the ache and struggling of others—whether or not by looting, fraud, theft, housebreaking, or some other type of prison exercise—won’t go unpunished.”
PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD
A firefighter works because the Palisades Fire burns a home on the hill subsequent to the Getty Villa Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
He vowed to carry thieves and different criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the regulation.
“To those that are enduring hardship, please know that you’re not alone,” he mentioned. “Thank you to our courageous first responders who’re working tirelessly to guard our group from this devastation. We admire you and all the things you’re doing.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna mentioned at a information briefing Thursday that at the least 20 individuals had been arrested on looting expenses and warned potential copycats to remain out of evacuated properties.
“Over final evening and this morning, we’re as much as 20 – 20 – people who selected to enter our areas and deprive these poor individuals who have been by a lot of their property,” he mentioned. “Absolutely unacceptable, and I’m going to offer route to our division members…When we’ve got an evacuation order, by regulation, in the event you stay in that space, you’re responsible of a misdemeanor. If you commit sure crimes, it may soar as much as a felony. I’m going to be asking our workers to start out imposing that.”
The Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
He mentioned he expects looting to proceed however vowed to crack down harshly on criminals.
“We’re not going to tolerate that sort of exercise,” he mentioned. “We have considerably elevated our deployment of deputies.”
At least 5 individuals have died in the fires throughout Southern California, based on authorities.
At least 130,000 individuals have been ordered to evacuate their properties.
A home burns within the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workplace mentioned the state was sending greater than 7,500 firefighters and assist personnel to help Los Angeles as fires proceed to rage.
Neighboring states, together with Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and New Mexico, have additionally despatched firefighting belongings.
