LA Fire Crackdown Targets Looters, Curfew Violators, Drones, Scammers

LOS ANGELES, CA — Following arrests for looting burned homes, the discovery of scammers targeting wildfire victims, and an unauthorized drone that crashed into a firefighting plane, officials on Friday morning emphasized severe consequences for scofflaws.

In response to the threat of looting, a curfew from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. has been activated in the evacuation zones of Los Angeles' two most devastating fires, the Eaton and Palisades. Both blazes were still burning out of control on Friday.

At a news briefing on Friday morning, Sheriff Robert Luna and newly elected LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman advised people to heed their warnings or face jail time, fines and prosecution.

SEE ALSO: LA Fires Spur Curfew, Crackdown; False Evac Alert Stirs Panic, 10 Dead

"I’ve given direction that if somebody’s caught [illegally inside an evacuation zone], they’re not going to get cited and released — they’re going to get booked," Luna said. "We are not screwing around with this."

Several hundred deputies, police officers and National Guard personnel will continue to patrol evacuation zones and the areas affected by wildfires to guard properties and to assist residents in need, officials said Friday.

"Protecting our homes, businesses and evacuated zones are our priority, and we will continue to ensure that no one takes advantage of these situations," said Dominic Choi of the LAPD.

Hochman said his office and law enforcement agencies deployed throughout LA will be on high alert for perpetrators of the following five crimes:

Arson

"If it is determined that there is a man-made, an intentional setting of any of the fires involved in this situation, people who committed this arson will be arrested, they will be prosecuted, and they will be punished to the full extent of the law," Hochman said.

Authorities already suspect that the Kenneth Fire, which scorched nearly 1,000 acres in the Calabasas area, was ignited by an arsonist. A suspect was taken into custody on Thursday night.

Sheriff Luna also urged on Thursday that any deaths reported in fires that are determined to be arson will be treated as a homicide.

Curfew Violations

Those who enter a designated evacuation zone without permission from law enforcement could be arrested, fined and prosecuted.

"Local law enforcement is going to be working overtime to protect your home," Hochman said. "If you violate the curfew, you will be arrested, and then you will be prosecuted by the district attorney's office."

Looting

At least 20 people suspected of stealing items from burned homes have been arrested. Hochman said that looters will be punished to the full extent of the law.

"Looting is a despicable crime," he said. "For the people who have already been arrested, please know this is not going to end well."

"If you want to go ahead and take advantage of people who have tragically suffered enormous losses in this county, the district attorney's office, working with law enforcement, will make sure you are arrested, you are prosecuted and you are maximally punished" he added.

Unauthorized Drones

A water-dropping air tanker was taken out of commission Thursday when it was struck by a drone while battling the Palisades Fire. Hochman and Luna reminded the public on Friday that it is illegal to fly a drone over an active fire area.

"If you're thinking that it's fine to send a drone up in the area for your own amusement, or you want to get information that nobody else can get, and you do it in one of these areas [where] drones are not permitted, I'll repeat one more time — you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished to the full extent of the law," Hochman said.

Online Scams

Hochman said that his office is aware of several GoFundMe and other online scams targeting wildfire victims and those trying to help.

"We're going to see that eventually with insurance scams, we'll see it with government benefit scams, and yes, they're going to target the people who have been tragically affected, and you cannot allow them to do it," Hochman warned.

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