Nearly 30 people charged for alleged crimes during LA County wildfires
District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that nine more people were charged for alleged crimes during the disastrous wildfires in Los Angeles County.
Similar to the last announcements of charges, the latest round includes several offenses including felony arson, looting and impersonation of a firefighter.
While some of the alleged crimes happened in evacuation zones a few — mainly arson cases — happened in areas such as South Gate, Hawthorne and Huntington Park.
"To anyone who believes they can use this disaster as a cover for criminal activity, let this be your warning: you will be caught, and you will be held accountable," Hochman said. "The citizens of this county deserve safety and justice, especially in the wake of such unprecedented devastation, and I will not rest until we achieve both."
Earlier this week, The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department arrested 39 people in the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires. Sheriff Robert Luna said the majority of those arrests were made near the Eaton Fire.
The arrests in the evacuation areas grew after the National Guard flooded the region with soldiers to quell the concerns surrounding looting and theft.
"I also want to thank Major General Beevers, I was with him as well, fortunately, he has been able to increase the amount of National Guard assistance that he is giving us up to 600. He told me yesterday that if we need more, we can ask for more," Luna said at a news conference earlier this week.
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