An aerial view shows utility vehicles parked near homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 13, 2025 in Malibu, California. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / Mario Tama
Nine people have been charged in connection with looting in evacuation zones around huge fires burning in Los Angeles, the area's chief prosecutor said on Monday.
The charges include for one burglary that netted US$200,000 (NZ$356,000) and one in which an Emmy statuette was stolen, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters.
One of those charged faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted, Hochman said, adding the legal action should serve as a warning to potential wrongdoers.
"The question is not if, but when, you will be caught if you engage in these crimes," Hochman said.
"Do not commit any of these crimes in which people are trying to profit from the tragedy of the people who have suffered from these various fires."
Around 92,000 people remain displaced seven days after huge fires erupted around Los Angeles, killing at least 24 people.
Evacuation zones in which 12,000 structures lie in ruins have been declared out of bounds as police work to reassure residents that their property will be safe from looters.
But arrests continue to mount, and on Monday the first charges were announced.
Two suspects were caught on a Ring doorbell camera invading a home in the affluent Mandeville Canyon area, which was threatened by the Palisades fire over the weekend.
Hochman said one of the accused, Martrell Peoples, has previous serious convictions and, under the so-called "three-strike" rule, could be imprisoned for life.
His alleged accomplice, Demari Bell, could be jailed for more than 22 years. A third man was arrested for hit-and-run as police hunted down those responsible for the burglary.
Six other suspects have been charged with a number of home burglaries in Altadena, including the theft of an Emmy award from one home.
No details were given about who owned the statuette.
Blake Chow of the Los Angeles Police Department said officers across jurisdictions were working together to bring criminals to book at a difficult time for the community.
"Isn't it bad enough we have [thousands of] people that have been evacuated from an area, and then we get a handful of people that want to... go victimise them," he said.
-AFP
