Dozens of people accused of looting homes and stores in LA’s upscale Pacific Palisades enclave during the deadly fires have been pictured in police photos.
Police have charged more than 40 inmates with various crimes, including burglary and drug possession, since the fires broke out on January 7.
Remarkably, none of those arrested actually lived in the evacuation zone and apparently traveled with the intention of taking advantage of the destruction.
Santa Monica police said each suspect was arrested in an evacuated area, and most of them violated the dusk-to-dawn curfew law.
The fires have claimed at least 24 lives and weary residents are now preparing for another 24 hours of hellish weather expected to push the fires in new directions.
The four fires have burned more than 40,000 acres in L.A.’s most affluent neighborhoods, wiping out A-list celebrity homes and restaurant hotspots among 12,300 buildings.
A gallery of shame shows the people accused of taking advantage of the destruction by stealing belongings from evacuated homes and combing through the rubble for hidden treasure.
Santa Monica police said officers apprehended 10 burglary suspects in the Palisades Fire evacuation zone, and that six of those arrested were carrying “burglary tools.”
Three of the 10 burglary suspects were photographed, including Joshua Kaliel Love, who was found with a dagger, window breaking tools, a mask, gloves, narcotics and a gold window punch, police said.
A gallery of shame shows the people accused of taking advantage of the massacre, including Joshua Kaliel Love (second row, first column), Miguel Angel Dorantes (second row, third column) and Dominic Pacheco Magana (first row, third column )
Santa Monica police said officers apprehended 10 burglary suspects in the Palisades Fire evacuation zone, and that six of those arrested were carrying “burglary tools.”
Santa Monica police said each suspect was being held in an evacuated area, and most of them were violating the dusk-to-dawn curfew law.
Officers arrested Kaliel Love, who was on probation, in an alley behind the 600 block of San Vicente Boulevard after he tried to elude police by running away.
Dominic Pacheco Magana, 18, and Miguel Angel Dorantes, 22, are also charged with conspiracy to burglarize homes after they were stopped while driving a van with stolen license plate stickers.
Officers searched the vehicle and found black Nike nylon gloves, a black ski mask and three large cargo bags and black t-shirts.
The Watch Duty app was open on Pacheco’s phone. The app monitors fire and evacuation zones.
‘Based on the items inside the vehicle, the location of the vehicle stop, the ski mask and the attempt to conceal their identity and avoid detection by removing the license plate, officers arrested the duo for being in the mandatory evacuation area found with the police. with specific intentions to commit residential burglaries,” police said.
Santa Monica police said two people were also arrested for possessing concealed handguns.
The rest of the inmates were arrested for violations including drug possession, driving violations, outstanding warrants, parole violations and probation.
Santa Monica police said there was a “significant increase from the normal number of arrests in neighborhoods in the evacuation zones north of Montana and Wilmont.”
Police have charged more than 40 inmates with various crimes, including burglary and drug possession, since the fires broke out on January 7. The fires continue throughout Los Angeles.
Some suspects were apprehended in vehicles with fake license plates (pictured above)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on the inferno as the Palisades fire burns out of control
“Our dedicated team of officers did a phenomenal job saturating evacuation areas and containing criminal activity,” the department said in a news release.
Two people have also been arrested for setting fires, including Ruben Montes, 29, who was arrested Sunday for arson in Irwindale, about 15 miles from Altadena, where the deadly Eaton Fire continues to rage.
Mexican national Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva was also taken into custody after he was reportedly caught on video walking with a yellow blowtorch before being confronted by residents of Calabasas, west of Beverly Hills.
Extremely dry weather conditions due to prolonged drought, dry vegetation and strong Santa Ana winds reaching up to 80 miles per hour in some areas this week created the “perfect storm” for the fires.
National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall said dry winds reached speeds of 60 mph in coastal and valley areas and 50 mph in the mountains Tuesday morning.
Wind gusts of up to 65mph were forecast to continue until Wednesday afternoon as firefighters struggle to control the infernos.
The Palisades fire, which had burned 23,700 acres as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, is only 17 percent contained.
Just north of Pasadena, the Eaton Fire has burned more than 40,000 acres and was only 35 percent contained as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The Hurst Fire north of San Fernando is nearly extinguished with 97 percent containment after destroying 2,000 acres.
A fourth major fire – the Auto Fire – broke out in Ventura on Tuesday. The latest inferno has destroyed 56 acres so far and is zero percent contained, according to the Cal Fire heat map.