Citizens, Authorities In Van Take Precautions To Thwart Looters

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VAN(CBSDFW.COM) - While most people are doing all they can in Van to help their neighbors, there are concerns the situation could bring out the worst in some folks.

As crews work under the lights to clean up and secure their town, CBS11 found a woman who grabbed her gun and jumped in her car to go to her mother's house to protect her mom.

"Come on. You want to try it?" says Brandie Lampin.  "I'm a US marine and I will defend my momma's home."

Lampin drove through the night from Louisiana.  Her experience living through hurricanes reminds her there are people who prey on storm victims.

"I got to protect what's hers. What's left. I mean I can't do anything else," says Lampin.  "I mean I would love to get her out of this place but I can't afford it. I'd like to bring her home with me but I can't."

Law enforcement set a curfew Monday night and have check points set up.

"I've seen a bunch of folks here today that I've never seen before and they maybe her looking for an opportunity," says Van Zandt County Constable Pat Jordan.  "All I can tell them is, it'd be game on if we catch them."

Jordan says they're also got lights up around Van's biggest asset, the school which is full of computers and other valuable equipment.

"We catch anything in their hands that don't belong to them, they will go to jail," says Jordan.

Lampin says her mother, like many others in town didn't have much to begin with before the storm.  Having their homes looted would be devastating.

"People here, we work pay check to pay check and what we got is what we have," says Van resident Jewel Kline, Lampin's mother.

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