‘Appalling’: Charges laid against looters as LA still burns

Source: X (Rizwan Haider)
Charges have been announced against 10 people for looting, burglary and arson while Los Angeles burned in its worst wildfires.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman named the suspects who had allegedly entered the homes of people who had fled during the evacuations.
The city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades, declared a curfew last week because of the lawlessness and National Guard troops were called in to LA to protect property.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the firestorm could rank as the most devastating natural disaster in US history.
Private forecaster AccuWeather has estimated the damage and economic loss at $US135 billion to $US150 billion ($219 billion to $244 billion).
Hochman on Tuesday (AEDT) accused the criminals of “seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit”.
“These crimes are appalling and represent a direct attack on our community during a time of unprecedented loss and vulnerability,”said Hochman.
“Let me be clear: If you exploit this tragedy to prey on victims of these deadly fires, we will find you and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Nine people are facing felony charges in connection to residential burglaries in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, with one facing life in prison because of the state’s three-strikes law.
A separate defendant has been charged with arson for allegedly intentionally starting a fire in the city of Azusa.
Those charged included Martrell Peoples and Damari Bell who are accused of stealing $US200,000 worth of property in Mandeville Canyon.
If convicted, Peoples faces life in prison and Bell faces 22 years in prison.
Travon Coleman is charged with one count of felony hit-and run for allegedly attempting to evade police, hitting a car and injuring the driver. After the crash, Coleman allegedly fled on foot but was ultimately detained.
Jose Gerardo Escobar is accused of attempting to light a large tree on fire that had fallen to the ground in Azusa.
Rudy Salazar and Lucia Jilrara Perez allegedly entered two homes during the Eaton fire in Altadena and stole property.
Roy Sims, Ryan Sims, Naquan Dewey Reddix and Pierie Obannon are charged with one count each of first-degree residential burglary for allegedly stealing property from an Altadena home during the Eaton fire.
Hochman said curfews were still in place in affected areas.
“These curfews are in place to protect residents and ensure public safety.
“Anyone who violates them will face serious consequences.
“Our office is fully committed to getting these criminals off the streets and putting them on alert.”
Dangerous winds forecast
Dangerously high winds are expected to return to Los Angeles, jeopardising efforts to contain two massive wildfires.
Dry Santa Ana winds of up to 80-110kmh were forecast to resume on Monday and persist through Wednesday (local time), according to the National Weather Service.
Fire crews were able to keep the fires from spreading overnight and are preparing for increased winds in the days ahead, officials said at a press conference on Monday morning.
Officials said California was pre-positioning firefighting crews in vulnerable areas, including around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest blazes burning on either side of Los Angeles.
More than 8500 firefighting personnel are assigned to those two fires.
At least 24 people have died since the fires began last Tuesday, and more than two dozen people are reported missing, authorities said. The fires have destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 structures.
The blazes have reduced entire neighbourhoods to smoldering ruins, leaving an apocalyptic landscape.
The return of high winds threatens the hard-won progress that crews have made in containing the fires.
-with AAP