Whenever there is a crisis, there is always someone waiting on the outskirts looking for a way to profit. The LA fires have had their fair share of looters, but now, they're getting clever about it and disguising themselves as firefighters.
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Looters have been drawn to the wealthy areas of the LA wildfires. Many of the homes evacuated and abandoned due to the natural disaster are mansions belonging to the rich and famous. They pose an easy and bountiful target for potential thieves.
But, as the LA county sheriff has stated, they will be coming down on potential looters with the full force of the law. Anyone caught trying to profit from the abandoned homes will be heavily penalized. So, a number of them are trying to find clever ways to get around it.
While out in the Malibu area, County Sheriff Robert Luna said he came across looters disguised in firefighters attire. "When I was out in the Malibu area, I saw a gentleman who looked like a firefighter and asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn't realize we had him in handcuffs," he said.
No Leniency For Looters
Looters dressed as firefighters among the richer, abandoned, areas of LA will be given no quarter. This person is one of 29 arrested so far in association with opportunistic theft. It is surprising there hasn't been more. Looting is almost always associated with crisis in the US, be it a football game, or political protest.
Robert Luna has previously spoken out about the dangers of looting. "If you are thinking about coming into any of these areas to steal from our residents, I'm going to tell you something," he cautioned. "You're going to be caught, you're going to be arrested and you're going to be prosecuted."
He's sticking to his word too, even looters dressed as firefighters aren't fooling anyone.
The homes in the Palisades are particularly wealthy. Once abandoned, they make easy pickings for anyone desperate enough to risk it. As the fires continue to burn through rich and poor neighborhoods alike, there will be a lot of people left with nothing.
In the coming months and years, the true effect of the hundreds of billions of dollars of damage will come to light. Many people will be left desperate and with nothing. I expect some are simply trying to mitigate the damage.
