Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned residents of looters and vowed to punish them Wednesday amid reports of looting in the county as firefighters struggle to contain multiple wildfires raging in Southern California, including the massive Pacific Palisades fire.
“While the community rallies to support one another, we are also aware of the individuals who are targeting vulnerable victims to preying on this misfortune, seeking to exploit the vulnerability of those who have already endured so much,” the DA said in a statement.
“Let it be clearly known that those who seek to illegally profit from the pain and suffering of others—whether through looting, fraud, theft, burglary, or any other form of criminal activity—will not go unpunished.”
PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD Â
He vowed to hold thieves and other criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“To those who are enduring hardship, please know that you are not alone,” he said. “Thank you to our brave first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community from this devastation. We appreciate you and everything you are doing.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news briefing Thursday that at least 20 people had been arrested on looting charges and warned potential copycats to stay out of evacuated homes.
“Over last night and this morning, we are up to 20 – 20 – individuals who chose to go into our areas and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property,” he said. “Absolutely unacceptable, and I’m going to give direction to our department members…When we have an evacuation order, by law, if you remain in that area, you are guilty of a misdemeanor. If you commit certain crimes, it could jump up to a felony. I’m going to be asking our employees to start enforcing that.”
He said he expects looting to continue but vowed to crack down harshly on criminals.
“We’re not going to tolerate that kind of activity,” he said. “We have substantially increased our deployment of deputies.”
At least five people have died in the fires across Southern California, according to authorities.
At least 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the state was sending more than 7,500 firefighters and support personnel to assist Los Angeles as fires continue to rage.
Neighboring states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and New Mexico, have also sent firefighting assets.
