Los Angeles County public officials have vowed to crack down on people allegedly burglarizing their homes as devastating wildfires rage through the region, insisting that lawbreakers will face consequences.
“In the midst of the emergency, we have all seen people targeting vulnerable communities by robbing and looting homes. This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told reporters Thursday.
Barger then addressed the looters directly: “I promise you, you will be held accountable. “Shame on those who take advantage of our residents during this time of crisis.”
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has made 20 arrests since the wildfires broke out on 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 his own stern warning in remarks to reporters, denouncing any breaking of the law amid the wildfire crisis as “absolutely unacceptable.”
“I’m going to make this very clear to everyone,” Luna said. “We are up to 20 people who chose to go to our areas and strip these poor people, who have been through so much, of their properties.” He said he expected the number to increase.
Luna said he planned to give new instructions to sheriff’s deputies who encounter people in areas 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 it is as clear as possible.”
Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, for his part, called the looting “despicable” and promised to prosecute offenders with the “maximum punishment.”
The public condemnations of the 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, covering about 17,234 acres, approximately 27 square miles. Images and videos from the scene showed block after block virtually wiped off the map, homes and businesses replaced by piles of ash and smoldering debris.
Officials who spoke to reporters Thursday did not specify where the alleged looting took place. Two people were arrested for alleged looting Wednesday in the Eaton Fire burn zone, which includes much of the Altadena area.
