Nine people have been charged with looting in connection with the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles, the district attorney has said.
Nathan Hochmann told reporters that among the stolen property was an Emmy award, which was taken from a resident’s home in Altadena by four individuals who were quickly apprehended. Authorities would not be drawn on who the Emmy belongs to.
In another case, two people entered two different houses in the same neighborhood and are facing two counts of first-degree burglary, which could see them get 12 years behind bars.
During mandatory evacuations, three people were caught carrying out “first-degree residential burglary and looting” of a house in Mandeville Canyon, with the suspects allegedly stealing over $200,000 worth of valuables.
District attorney Nathan Hochman said those looting are ‘seeking to exploit this tragedy’ (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
“There have been certain people that we have given a warning to because we anticipated that this was half was going to happen, and these are the criminals,” Mr Hochman said during a press briefing. “These are the people who are seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit.”
An arson charge has also been filed against a man who allegedly started a fire in the nearby city of Azusa, who could face a sentence of up to nine years in prison.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna issued a stern warning for looters, stressing: “Everyone around me is hungry. When we catch people, we mean business.”
He added that an increased patrol of officers will be visible in the affected areas, and said: “Stay out of the curfew area. Do not come here to do anything you shouldn’t be doing, You’re gonna get caught, and … you’re gonna get hammered.”
Police are also investigating reports that potential looters have pretended to be firefighters to access properties and businesses.
It comes as California governor Gavin Newsom accused Elon Musk of “encouraging looting” after the billionaire shared posts on his social media platform X that claimed the politician had “decriminalised” it.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (R) has accused Elon Musk of ‘encouraging looting’ (Getty Images)
Replying to one of the billionaire’s retweets, Mr Newsom said on X: “Stop encouraging looting by lying and telling people it’s decriminalized. It’s not.
“It’s illegal — as it always has been. Bad actors will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Mr Musk had shared a tweet in which Mr Newsom was filmed in an interview warning people against looting, but the caption read: “LOOTING: Newsom and California Democrats literally decriminalized looting, barring police from arresting looters and prosecutors from prosecuting them. Now he’s opposed to looting.”
So far, the blazes have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people, including British-born former child star Rory Sykes, who was blind and had cerebral palsy.
Officials have warned that winds scattering ash could threaten the progress made so far on the infernos that have caused entire neighbourhoods to frantically flee from their properties.