A group of California firefighters stopped an alleged looter from robbing a burnt-out house and flying away with an Emmy Award that had miraculously survived the carnage of the Eaton Fire.
Los Angeles County Fire Department smoke eaters were working Thursday in a burned-out Altadena neighborhood when they encountered two suspicious individuals attempting to leave one of the properties.
One of the firefighters confronted a woman wearing a dark sweatshirt and skirt over sweatpants and carrying her belongings, including prestigious prizes, from her home.
“I can't help it, what?” the suspected looter asked firefighters as he left the white pickup truck loaded with prizes, according to LAFD watchdog video obtained by Fox LA. Reporter Matthew Seedorf.
“No way. You didn't do that,” the first responder countered.
“This was our home. We tried to save all these people. You're not stealing from them.”
The woman insisted she wasn't stealing and was protecting her neighborhood.
The firefighter left, but turned around when the woman and her friend tried to get into the truck.
“Don't go anywhere,” the fireman ordered.
Winner of the 2002 Emmy Award in the News and Documentary category. Fox LA reported.
In addition to the Emmy Award, the woman also allegedly stole an award, the 2016 Sharpe Award. Both awards had the names of their rightful owners, but the owners' names were not made public.
Firefighters called for the suspect's white pickup truck to park its engine until police arrived.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies arrested the looters.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has named nine more people charged with crimes related to the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Charges include felony arson, felony possession of ammunition by a felon, felony looting during a forced evacuation, and misdemeanor impersonation of a firefighter.
Nine people were originally charged with the crime before Hochman's Friday update.
More than 40 out-of-town vultures were arrested by Santa Monica police on suspicion of preying on thousands of abandoned homes in Santa Monica and the nearby Pacific Palisades.
The suspects are said to have taken advantage of residents fleeing from the devastating fire and broke into homes.
“To anyone who believes they can use this disaster as a cover for criminal activity, this is a warning: You will be caught and you will be held accountable,” Hochman said. “The residents of this county deserve safety and justice, especially after an unprecedented tragedy like this, and I will not rest until we achieve both.”
Deadly fires have killed 27 people and destroyed more than 11,000 buildings after the raging inferno scorched more than 40,000 acres since January 7, 2025.
