Los Angeles Wildfires Fueling Burglaries, Sparking Concern
Local media reports that on Sunday morning, Los Angeles police received a call regarding a possible burglary at the home of United States Vice President Heather Jinli in Brentwood, located in an evacuated area affected by the Palisades Fire.
During curfew hours, authorities arrested two individuals at Jinli’s residence, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Around 4:40 a.m. on Sunday, the West Los Angeles Police Department received a call reporting a potential burglary at the Vice President’s residence. Police arrived on the scene and found two individuals inside the home.
Reports suggest that the intruders were two men dressed in black clothing, though this detail has not been confirmed by authorities.
The Los Angeles Police Department stated that the individuals were detained for violating curfew but were released due to a lack of evidence linking them to the burglary.
Details regarding the incident remain scarce, with authorities not disclosing the actions of the individuals at the Vice President’s home or whether further investigation will be conducted.
Members of the National Guard, as well as local law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, and Airport Police Department, have reminded residents that patrols in the disaster area will continue from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to apprehend individuals engaging in illegal activities such as trespassing, looting, or any other unlawful behavior.
According to CNN, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated on Sunday that the total number of arrests made during the Los Angeles wildfires has reached approximately 29 individuals.
Luna reported that 25 arrests were made in the Eaton Fire area, while 4 individuals were arrested in the Palisades Fire area. Some individuals posing as firefighters have been apprehended by the Los Angeles police for unlawfully entering residents’ homes.
“He looked like a firefighter, but he wasn’t a real firefighter. He was just caught breaking and entering,” Luna mentioned one of the impersonators apprehended by authorities.
He further mentioned that some of the individuals encountered by law enforcement personnel in the fire-affected areas do not reside in those areas.
“We’re coming across individuals who don’t live in the areas where we’re arresting them; we find that they have no (firefighting) duties in these areas,” Luna said. “Therefore, I want to reiterate to our community: if you do not belong to these areas affected by the fires, do not go there, or you will be arrested.”