The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged 10 people with felonies in connection with four crimes, including looting and arson, committed during the ongoing Palisades and Eaton wildfires.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Monday announced that nine people have been charged in connection to residential burglaries in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, and one man was charged with arson for allegedly starting a fire in Azusa about 100 yards from the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The charges, Hochman said, show that anyone who tries to steal from, price gouge or scam wildfire victims will be caught and punished.
“Do not commit any of these crimes in which people are trying to profit from the tragedy of the people who have suffered from these various fires,” Hochman said.
A 22-year-old man and a 20-year-old man were charged with first-degree residential burglary and looting during an emergency or evacuation. The men are accused of stealing more than $200,000 of property from a Mandeville Canyon home between the late hours of Jan. 8 and the early morning hours of Jan. 9.
Officials believe the 22-year-old committed the burglary while on state prison parole. The 20-year-old was on felony probation and has also been charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The District Attorney’s Office has recommended the 22-year-old be held on a $1.1 million bail and the 20-year-old be held on a $310,000 bail. If convicted, they could face sentences of life in prison and 22 years and eight months in prison, respectively.
While police were investigating the burglary around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 9, a 27-year-old man allegedly tried to evade police and crashed in the intersection of Figueroa and Fifth streets, hitting a car and leaving the driver with a concussion before he ran from the scene, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
He was detained and charged with felony hit-and-run and could face life in prison if convicted.
Around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, a 39-year-old man allegedly tried to light a large fallen tree on fire at Pioneer Park in Azusa.
Jose Gerardo Escobar, previously described as a transient with a last known address in Azusa, was charged with felony arson, arson during a state of emergency and attempted arson and could face nine years in state prison if convicted. While the fire wasn’t connected to the Eaton or Palisades fires, the fire was about 100 yards away from the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Escobar’s arraignment was scheduled for Jan. 13. He is being held on a $20,000 bail.
On Sunday, police also arrested Ruben Montes, 29, on suspicion of arson. He was accused of setting a small brush fire in the area of Rivergrade Road and the 605 Freeway in Irwindale. It wasn’t immediately known if he’s been charged by the DA’s Office.
Two others, a 19-year-old and a 36-year-old, were charged with two counts each of first-degree residential burglary after allegedly breaking into and stealing property from two homes in Altadena amid the Eaton fire. The defendants pleaded not guilty during their arraignment and are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 29.
Another four people were charged with one count each of first-degree residential burglary and are also accused of breaking into an Altadena home and stealing property during the Eaton fire, including an Emmy award. Officials didn’t identify the owner of the Emmy.
The defendants pleaded not guilty during their arraignment and have a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 28. If convicted, they could each face up to six years in state prison.
Police are also investigating a case in which multiple people impersonated firefighters and allegedly conspired to commit looting or burglary in the area of the Palisades fire. Officials expect more arrests and charges as investigations continue into illegal activity amid the wildfires and as residents return to their homes and report additional burglaries.
While officials work to inform residents about consequences in looting and burglary cases, Hochman said they’re combating conspiracies and rumors that have spread through social media.
“We’re doing our best to dispel the misinformation that is out there,” Hochman said, “and social media has a tendency to put a lot of it out there. The speed of which it gets the bad information out there seems to be much faster than good information than good information getting out there.”
Curfews remain in place for areas under mandatory evacuation orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires. Anyone in the area between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Uniformed and undercover law enforcement officials are patrolling the areas and will detain and arrest anyone committing suspicious activity, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. As of Monday morning, 34 arrests have been made in evacuated zones, Luna said.
“Stay out of the curfew area. Do not come here to do anything you shouldn’t be doing,” Luna said. “You’re gonna get caught, and … you’re gonna get hammered.”
Officials urged residents to report suspicious activity in evacuation zones as well as any scams or price gouging.
Residents can report illegal price gouging to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office at att.pricegougingtaskforce@lacity.org or 213-679-5035. During the state of emergency declaration, no one can raise prices on housing, shelter, food, water, pet care, health care and other essential goods and services more than 10%.
Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the cause of each wildfire. Those with tips on how the fires began can contact the ATF by texting 63975.
Federal officials are also investigating illegal drone activity in restricted zones that get in the way of firefighting aircrafts. The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Los Angeles has dealt with about 20 to 30 drone incursions in restricted zones each day, and the Sheriff’s Department said it has made three arrests so far related to two illegal drone incidents.
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