Los Angeles County public officials are vowing to crack down on people allegedly stealing from homes as devastating wildfires rip through the region, insisting that lawbreakers will face consequences.
“In the midst of the emergency, we have all seen individuals who are targeting vulnerable communities by burglarizing and looting homes. This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told reporters Thursday.
Barger then addressed looters directly: “I promise you, you will be held accountable. Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis.”
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has made 20 arrests since the wildfires broke out Tuesday, Barger said, adding that law enforcement officers were “proactively patrolling to protect these communities from looting and any criminal activity.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna offered a stern warning of his own in remarks to reporters, decrying any lawbreaking amid the wildfire crisis as “absolutely unacceptable.”
“I’m going to make this crystal clear to everybody out there,” Luna said. “We are up to 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 he expected the number to grow.
Luna said he planned to give new direction to sheriff’s deputies who encounter people in zones that are under mandatory evacuation orders: “If you are in one of these areas and you do not belong there, you will be subject to arrest. I hope that is as clear as I can make it.”
Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, for his part, blasted looting as “despicable” and promised to prosecute any offenders with “maximal punishment.”
In the small, hilltop town of Sierra Madre, one home was burglarized on Wednesday after the owners evacuated.
“The whole house was ransacked,” said Sgt. Charles Kamchamnan of the Sierra Madre Police Department.
No arrests were made.
“It’s unfortunate,” Kamchamnan added, “but it’s something we see throughout the whole county, with criminals taking advantage of the situation.”
The public condemnations of looting came as Southern California woke up to a third day of devastation and uncertainty due to the fires. Five people have died and nearly 30,000 acres have burned since Tuesday, and more than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes.
The Palisades Fire is the largest in size, spanning some 17,234 acres — roughly 27 square miles. Images and videos from the scene showed block after block virtually wiped off the map, homes and businesses replaced by smoldering heaps of ash and rubble.
Officials who addressed reporters Thursday did not specify where the alleged looting has taken place. Two people were arrested for alleged looting Wednesday in the Eaton Fire burn zone, which includes much of the Altadena area.
Rich Schapiro contributed.
