First on FOX News: California Gov. Gavin Newsom seeks to make looting in fire evacuation zones a felony after Southern California prosecutors this week called on the governor to impose harsher penalties. It has been learned exclusively from Fox News Digital.
“Preying on the most vulnerable is a despicable act, and these criminals are among the worst,” Newsom said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital Thursday afternoon. .
“Looting was never legal here,” Newsom said, calling it “unacceptable” as the state continues to grapple with the raging inferno that erupted on Jan. 7.
California firefighter arrested, police warn arsonist caught on video
Gov. Gavin Newsom faced pressure this week from Southern California prosecutors to impose tougher penalties for looters and arsonists. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)
“And that’s why I imposed support from CalGuard and CHP from the beginning. [California Highway Patrol] “This is to protect affected residents and their property,” Newsom said.
Looting is currently classified as a “wobbler crime” in California, meaning it can be prosecuted as a felony or misdemeanor. However, judges have the power to reduce charges to misdemeanors despite prosecutors’ objections.
Los Angeles County’s newly elected tough-on-crime District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed multiple arson charges in unrelated cases this week as firefighters continue to battle blazes across the region so far. I am doing it. Fox News Digital previously reported that authorities had arrested at least a dozen people in connection with the looting and arson.
Los Angeles wildfires: Armed homeowners patrol for looters in evacuation zones
A panoramic view of a burned-out residential area as wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles on Sunday. (Lokman Vral Elibor/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hochman issued a warning to others “considering similar conduct” and vowed that individuals “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Armed homeowners in some areas affected by the fires are taking matters into their own hands to protect their undamaged homes.
Mr. Newsom’s hearing came after Mr. Hochman and District Attorney Todd Spitzer of neighboring Orange County joined together Tuesday to urge the governor to make looting a felony. Newsom has recently come under fire from celebrities and lawmakers for his handling of the crisis.
Hockman and Spitzer’s proposal aims to reclassify looting as a straight-up felony, calling for state prison sentences instead of county jail sentences as they currently do. Newsom is also asking lawmakers to make it a direct felony.
“We commend Governor Newsom for standing with prosecutors in holding opportunistic looters accountable and demanding punishments that fit the crime,” Spitzer told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday. said. “Nothing is more sacred than your own home. Whether a stranger enters your home or scavenges the ashes of what was once your home with the intent of stealing your most prized possessions, your privacy is compromised. The violations are the same. And as prosecutors, we look forward to working with the governor and state legislature to restore accountability and protect the thousands of people forced to flee their homes from shameful revictimization. The thieves.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom toured Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades downtown business district on January 8th. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
Twenty-four people have died in the Los Angeles wildfires, and that number is expected to rise as authorities continue containment efforts.
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Fox News Digital also reached out to Hochman for comment, but has not yet received a response.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Jamie Joseph is a political writer. She leads Fox News Digital’s Senate coverage.
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