Police: At Least 20 Arrested For Suspected Looting Amid Catastrophic L.A. County Wildfires

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:56 PM – Thursday, January 9, 2025

At least 20 people have been detained on suspicion of looting amid ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, California, and surrounding areas, authorities said.

At a press conference Thursday, L.A. Supervisor Kathryn Berger said L.A. County sheriff's deputies made numerous arrests in the evacuation area.

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“I promise you, you will be held accountable,” she warned. “Shame on those who are preying on residents during this time of crisis.”

It added that police patrols looking for looters and other criminal activity will continue to be carried out by the sheriff's department.

To deter looting and other criminal activity, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference that deputies will continue to be stationed at road closures, conduct loitering patrols and provide special protection to those who report to the department. said it would provide.

“Let me make this very clear to everyone in this room: between last night and this morning, there were up to 20 people who invaded our area and selected poor people who were robbed of many of their properties. ” Luna announced.

“By law, if you remain in the area when an evacuation order is issued, it is a misdemeanor,” he added. “If you commit certain crimes, it can escalate to a felony.”

Additionally, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman condemned the looting.

“If you want to loot, if you want to commit robbery, if you want to commit grand theft, if you want to engage in Internet fraud, you're going to use these people. They're looking for insurance and government benefits. If so, they will be arrested, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Hochman said.

Firefighters are still battling the Eaton Fire, which has burned at least 10,600 acres between Pasadena and Altadena, and the Palisades Fire, which has reportedly burned more than 17,200 acres.