Oregon man, woman charged with impersonating LA firefighters in Malibu evacuation zone
A couple from Oregon has been charged with impersonating Los Angeles County firefighters while trying to enter a wildfire evacuation zone in Malibu, prosecutors said Friday.
Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, were allegedly wearing fake firefighting gear when they were arrested on Jan. 18, after deputies detained a fire engine trying to get into an evacuation zone at 22520 Pacific Coast Highway, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. LAPD officers had told the deputies about an engine that didn't look legitimate, authorities said.
Thousands of Pacific Palisades and Malibu residents had been evacuated from their homes in the deadly Palisades Fire, leaving the coastal neighborhoods emptied out with only law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders allowed in.
When deputies stopped the Nehls, they claimed to be from the "Roaring River Fire Department" in Oregon, which investigators later learned is not a real agency, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department. The Nehls were allegedly wearing full turnout gear for firefighting, with helmets, radios and Cal Fire T-shirts, authorities said.
They now each face misdemeanor charges of fraudulent impersonation of a specific fire personnel, unauthorized activities with respect to badges or related matter and false representation, according to prosecutors. They face a maximum possible sentence of 180 days in jail if convicted of all charges.
Jennifer Nehl was granted release on her own recognizance by the court since she does not have a criminal history, while bail for Dustin Nehl was set at $30,000, the DA's office said in a statement announcing the charges.
"Impersonating first responders endangers the safety of our community and the well-being of those who choose to engage in such reckless behavior, especially during a state of emergency," LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in the statement. "These types of actions can have dire consequences and mislead the public into trusting an unqualified person with responsibilities they are not equipped to handle."
According to the LA County Sheriff's Department, Dustin Nehl has a criminal history in Oregon for criminal mischief and arson. However, the sheriff's department and the DA's office both have not identified a suspected motive for the couple's alleged impersonation of firefighters.
Both defendants have pretrial hearings scheduled for Feb. 11 at the Van Nuys West Courthouse.
