Arrests near wildfires in Los Angeles continue to escalate as additional National Guard personnel are deployed to the area.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has detained 34 people in the regions affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires. On Monday, Sheriff Robert Luna announced that 30 persons had been arrested near the Eaton Fire and four near the Palisades Fire.
As the number of arrests climbed over the weekend, Luna requested more National Guard personnel. The sheriff’s department remains concerned about looting and theft, as well as online scams.
“I’d also like to thank Major General Beevers; I was with him as well, and he was able to boost the amount of National Guard help he’s giving us to 600. “He told me yesterday that if we needed more, we could ask for it,” Luna stated at a press conference.
Since the beginning of the flames, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has appeared at some news conferences. He announced charges against ten persons on Monday, nine of them were accused of burglarizing homes in the Eaton and Palisades fire regions. Charging filings against three suspected suspects include $200,000 in stolen goods from an evacuated residence in Mandeville Canyon. Hochman revealed Ring camera footage of the suspects inside the house.
During an Altadena burglary investigation of an evacuated home, officers discovered an Emmy award among other stolen things. In this case, three individuals face one count of house burglary apiece. Two other individuals have been charged with burglary after looting two evacuated Altadena residences on January 8.
“It’s not a question of if, but when you will be caught when you engage in these crimes,” Hochman clarified.
Luna added that not all of the 34 arrests were for burglary, looting, or curfew breaches. The sheriff’s department has made several arrests for drug and handgun possession. He cautioned people that if they do not have business in the evacuated areas, they should not go there or fly drones.
Luna said that three people had been arrested in connection with two different drone incidents. The FBI is presently looking into an incident last week in which a private drone collided with a firefighter aircraft battling flames.
A spokeswoman for the FBI’s Los Angeles field office told CBS News that the drone violated temporary flight limitations established by the Federal Aviation Administration. The limitations on flying around the Palisades and Eaton fires will last until January 25.
California Governor Gavin Newsom stated on Sunday afternoon that he would send an additional 1,000 California National Guard personnel to help with the response to the Los Angeles fires. A curfew imposed last week in the city of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, and all unincorporated regions of Los Angeles County that are under evacuation orders and warning zones remains in effect. The curfew is in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to prevent looting and theft while homes stay evacuated.
Anyone who violates the curfew may face a misdemeanor charge punished by a $1,000 fine.
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