Let’s face it, looters are the scum of the earth. Anyone who sees a neighborhood burned to the ground and thinks it’s a great opportunity to score some free stuff from one of the homes left standing is someone we can all do without. Unfortunately though, the reality of disasters like this is that those creeps are out there waiting for their moment. Yesterday there were reports that two looters had been arrested but this morning that number was upgraded to twenty.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed during the conference that deputies will continue to conduct roving patrols, be stationed at road closures and provide security to try to prevent looting and other criminal behavior.
“I’m gonna make this crystal clear to everybody out there: over last night and this morning we are up to 20 individuals who chose to go into our area and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property,” Luna said.
“When we have an evacuation order, by law, if you remain in that area, you are guilty of a misdemeanor,” he added. “If you commit certain crimes, it could jump up to a felony.”
And thank goodness progressive nutcase George Gascon is no longer in office. You can bet he would have found a way to put every arrested looter back on the street. But now LA has a sane DA in Nathan Hochman who made a video yesterday from the site of his sister’s burned down house to announce that looters would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Los Angeles County District Attorney @NathanHochmanDA sent me this video from what used to be his sister’s home.
He’s vowing to crack down on looters in L.A. County who are taking advantage of our city’s fire crisis. pic.twitter.com/1P0CdcyKhI
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) January 9, 2025
That’s a huge improvement but there are still reports suggesting that there are a lot more looters out there than have been arrested so far. Here’s an interview with a resident who saw cars full of men stopping and running up to vacant homes.
“There were like 100 men arriving in cars and on scooters trying to get into the houses.”
I hope there is a special place in hell reserved for people who prey on situations like this. #LosAngelesFire #lafires #CaliforniaWildfires pic.twitter.com/6CK4FC6BJJ
— Lindsay Kusiak (@lindsay_kusiak) January 9, 2025
Here’s another report made near the Eaton Fire burning north of Pasadena. This reporter described it as the “wild, wild west” with “so many looters here.”
Looters reported in Altadena. Walking around with TV’s “it’s like the wild wild west out here, so many looters” Complete insanity #looters pic.twitter.com/ax7hgl53Ry
— FL-Native (@FL_Native21) January 9, 2025
And another about a looter on PCH.
Looters during this devastation is disturbing. @NathanHochmanDA I hope you prosecute them to the fullest. pic.twitter.com/6fe2RvMXtj
— Stella Escobedo (@StellaEscoTV) January 9, 2025
And yet another report on people reluctant to leave their homes despite mandatory evacuation orders because of all the looters on the streets.
This clip allegedly shows suspected looters being arrested in Santa Monica near the Pacific Palisades fire.
Alleged looters arrested in Santa Monica during Palisades fire pic.twitter.com/YAXXiJluC3
— The Daily Sneed™ (@Tr00peRR) January 9, 2025
Some homeowners have hired private security to watch their properties. Security companies are completely booked.
“We are slammed,” Herman Weisberg, the managing director of SAGE Intelligence, which works with Hollywood stars and other prominent individuals. “Can’t get guys there, and housing them is near impossible.”
Hotels are packed with displaced families and first responders, he said. Even one of his friend’s houses burned down. Rental cars are scarce, even if security personnel could stay outside town.
“We’ve already pretty much committed all the assets I have in California to various assignments, but we’re trying to mobilize some more out of towners, which has its own issues,” he said. “Everybody that we have is former law enforcement, but not everybody is licensed in the state of California.”
There are also stories circulating about people who’ve left their homes under the evacuation orders who are still getting video from their Ring doorbells of looters showing up and breaking into their abandoned homes. Charlie Kirk said this happened to a friend of his.
A friend of a friend in West LA just saw looters plunder her evacuated house on her Ring camera.
Her friends, including some who voted for Harris, are calling for summary execution of the looters.
Turns out, “In This House We Believe” politics disappear when your house does.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 8, 2025
Here’s a report about guys with face tattoos driving around in evacuation areas in a car with out of state plates.
These guys are casing the Sunset Fire houses looking for a score. I approached them and he said, “I don’t speak English—I live here.” He doesn’t live here. These are professional looting rings operated by an organized entity. Open your eyes to what’s happening in California. pic.twitter.com/HxxoHDXiVO
— Norgard (@BrianNorgard) January 9, 2025
All of that to say, I think there are a lot of these guys out there and so far very few of them have been caught. That’s understandable given the circumstances but I hope the LAPD will really clamp down on this before it gets out of hand.
Read the full article here
