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.”
Residents ride their motorbike past a burning liquor store during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, Calif., on Wednesday.
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.”
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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.”
Tahitian Terrace devastated by the Palisades fire on Wednesday in Malibu, Calif.
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.”
Police departments across Southern California confirmed details of some of the thefts.
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.”
In the evacuation zone of Arcadia, a city in east Los Angeles near the Eaton Fire, a home was burglarized early Wednesday. High-end purses were among the items stolen, said Lt. John Bonomo of the Arcadia Police Department.
The home was equipped with an alarm and security cameras, Bonomo said, but they weren’t functioning because the power had been shut off. The police department has stepped up neighborhood patrols and posted officers at the site of road closures to guard against looting.
“If anyone goes up there, they will most likely be spotted by our officers and questioned,” Bonomo said. “We’re taking a very proactive approach.”
The public condemnations of looting from local officials 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.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com