As wildfires continue to ravage parts of Los Angeles, the crisis has been further exacerbated by rampant looting.
Law enforcement authorities have arrested at least 20 individuals exploiting the chaos to rob the already distressed residents.
According to The Post Millennial, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna expressed his outrage at the situation. "Over last night and this morning, we are up to 20 20 individuals who chose to go into our areas and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property," Luna said. He described the actions of the looters as "absolutely unacceptable."
In response to this lawlessness, Luna announced that the authorities would begin enforcing a policy that criminalizes defiance of evacuation orders in the affected areas. "As you know, when we have an evacuation order by law, if you remain in that area, you are guilty of a misdemeanor. If you commit certain crimes, it could jump up to a felony. I'm going to be asking our employees to start enforcing that," he declared.
Luna described the situation on the ground as "fluid," indicating that the facts and figures could change as more information about the fires becomes available. He also warned that the number of arrests is likely to increase. "I do expect that to go up. We're not going to tolerate that kind of activity," he affirmed.
In the areas affected by the wildfires, approximately 130,000 people have been asked to evacuate. The blaze, which began on Tuesday, has already claimed the lives of at least five individuals. Despite the tireless efforts of the authorities, containing the fires has proven to be a significant challenge.
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