A first responder was left doing double duty Thursday after encountering an alleged looter attempting to make off with an award from a fire-ravaged home.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
No matter the efforts from some in corporate media to downplay criminality continuing to take place in California amid the devastating wildfires, dozens had been arrested facing charges from arson to looting. In one instance, it was a firefighter taking the lead in confronting a suspect who was alleged to have tried to make off with someone’s Emmy Award.
“There’s no way what?” a woman could be heard saying in a video shared by Fox LA reporter Matthew Seedorff as a firefighter in the Eaton Fire evacuation zone sought to stop her from supposedly taking belongings from a home in an Altadena neighborhood. “I’m not looting.”
“No way, you are not doing this,” the firefighter declared as the woman continued to insist she was innocent. “This was our house and we tried to save all these people. You are not stealing from them.”
NEW: Firefighters stopped a burglary suspect accused of looting at the Eaton Fire. When deputies responded, they discovered a stolen 2002 Emmy Award and 2016 Sharp Award with the victim’s name on it. The suspect was arrested and charged with burglary. #EatonFire pic.twitter.com/XoOqeh8Byo
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) January 17, 2025
“You’re not going anywhere,” he went on as she asserted she was calling her lawyer.
According to Fox LA, law enforcement found a 2002 Emmy Award for news and documentaries and a 2016 Sharp Award with a victim’s name on it at the time they arrested the woman and charged her with burglary.
Friday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced a slew of charges against nine more individuals for crimes committed up to Jan. 14 that included felony looting, felony arson, and misdemeanor impersonation of a firefighter.
In a statement accompanying the press release, the DA serving LA since Dec. 3, 2024, had said, “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. 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 in the week, when charges were announced against 10 other individuals for alleged crimes from the week prior, Hochman had said, “These crimes are appalling and represent a direct attack on our community during a time of unprecedented loss and vulnerability.”
“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,” he added.
Elsewhere in the county, Santa Monica police had announced that out of hundreds of individuals stopped in evacuation zones, 42 arrests had been made as of Jan. 13.
Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista had said as it was revealed all of the arrestees were from out of town, “I am grateful for the unwavering dedication and professionalism of all the officers and professional staff in the SMPD. Over the past six days, while the fires in Palisades tested the resilience of many, each of them stood strong, ensuring that the city of Santa Monica remained safe and secure. I am also grateful for the collaboration with our mutual aid partners who supported us on the front lines and the National Guard for helping us secure the evacuation zones and maintain entry and exit points to the closed areas.”
From January 7th through today, Santa Monica Police Department officers stopped hundreds of individuals in the city’s evacuation zones, leading to 42 arrests.
Two of the individuals arrested were in possession of concealed handguns. None of the arrestees are from Santa… pic.twitter.com/bJ3m3vVQKM
— Santa Monica Police (@SantaMonicaPD) January 13, 2025
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