Los Angeles District Attorney Warns Residents of Looting Amid Southern California Wildfires
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has issued a stern warning to looters, vowing to punish them severely amid reports of looting in the county as firefighters struggle to contain multiple wildfires. While the community rallies to support those affected, Hochman stated that those who target vulnerable victims and seek to exploit their misfortune will not go unpunished.
“We are aware of the individuals who are targeting vulnerable victims to prey on this misfortune, seeking to exploit the vulnerability of those who have already endured so much,” Hochman 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.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has also spoken out, announcing that at least two people have been arrested on looting charges and warning potential copycats to stay out of evacuated homes. “If you are thinking of coming into any of these areas to steal from our residents, you’re going to get caught, you’re going to be arrested, and you’re going to be prosecuted,” Luna said. “Don’t do that! Stay out of these areas. It’s only for emergency workers and people who live there.”
The Palisades Fire, one of the largest of the wildfires, has forced thousands of people to flee their homes, with at least five fatalities reported across Southern California. A total of at least 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, with more than 7,500 firefighters and support personnel from California and neighboring states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and New Mexico, working to contain the fires.