Major wildfires erupted as Santa Ana winds turned into smoke, taking over the Greater Los Angeles area, and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes quickly. With a quick evacuation, valuable belongings are still left behind. As law enforcement focused on evacuation and care for the community, looters began to take advantage of the chaos, resulting in a heartbreaking discovery for residents. Their belongings were stolen in the midst of a natural disaster.
As a result of people evacuating their homes because of the emerging fires, they were leaving behind the majority of their memorabilia, keepsakes and relics. This week L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said the majority of related arrests were made near the Eaton Fire scene. National Guard members have been recruited per Luna’s request as the arrests increased.
CBS News wrote, “Looting and theft remain a top concern for the sheriff’s department as well as online scams.” These arrests have surged as law enforcement has been occupied with evacuating citizens as the fires spread.
Unfortunately, it is not surprising that people are looting homes that have been overtaken by the fires, or the ones that have been left unscathed with the homeowners evacuated. The unscathed homes have unburnt objects in them that still hold value.
L.A. Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on his website, saying, “And to those who would seek to take advantage of evacuated communities, let me be clear: looting will not be tolerated.”
Luna also said that it is a misdemeanor crime for someone to be unauthorized and in an evacuation area. Further, committing a crime in an evacuation area, like looting, is a felony. It is one thing to live through a natural disaster and its after-effects such as loss and displacement. It is another thing to be robbed of valuables after the fact.
Police have reported they have recovered an Emmy Award and at least $200,000 in other items that were looted from homes. “The whole house was ransacked,” Sierra Madre Police Detective Sgt. Charles Kamchamnan said in an NBC News article when recalling a home that was burglarized after the owners evacuated.
This crime also disrupts law enforcement as they work toward care for the community and evacuation efforts. Looters are also taking advantage of scared L.A. residents. A man dressed as a firefighter was arrested after being caught burglarizing a home in the Malibu area. L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the man was arrested for impersonating a firefighter.
“We have people who will go to all ends to do what it is they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy,” McDonnell said.
The LAPD and the L.A. Sheriff’s Department have increased patrols and personnel in affected areas, as well as calling in National Guard members to assist in the prevention of looting and theft as more evacuation zones open. As measures are now in place to steer away looters and theft, it’s clear that L.A. knows and understands the present, high increase in crime during this disastrous and vulnerable time for residents.
Chris Clinton, a Pacific Palisades resident spoke to CBS News about the suspected looters in his neighborhood, “It’s heartbreaking…just let us get through this.”
Daphne Graeter is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Daphne know by emailing her at dg422421@ohio.edu.
