LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the plainest terms Thursday that those who try to take advantage of the victims of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires will be hit hard.
Appearing on the KTLA 5 Morning News, Bonta told KTLA’s Frank Buckley and Jessica Holmes that his office will devote more resources to investigating criminal charges filed in wildfire areas. He said he plans to announce the task force that is being established.
“We are not bluffing,” Bonta said. “If we think we’re bluff and call, we’re going to regret it.”
As of Wednesday, 50 looting arrests had been made. Concerns are so great that some residents are disobeying evacuation orders and arming themselves to protect their homes from looters, KTLA reported. Bonta on Thursday warned against this trend and called on local police to He called on residents to leave it to them.
A sign posted on Eveanna Manley’s front lawn warning trespassers that she is armed. (KTLA)
District attorneys in Los Angeles and Orange counties are pushing for legal changes that would include tougher penalties for looting during local emergencies. Bonta said considering these laws is “a good discussion” as evacuated Los Angeles residents fear for their belongings.
Bonta acknowledged that California law currently only criminalizes looting when items valued at $950 or more are stolen, but added, “I think it’s time to punish people with the harshest penalties.” spoke. “It’s wrong to hurt people right now. We need to help people.”
Photo: Homes go up in flames in Los Angeles’ Palisades fire
Mr. Bonta vowed to prosecute not only looters, but also fraudsters, fraudsters and price gougers.
The fires have already affected Los Angeles’ rental market, with the AG’s office receiving “hundreds” of complaints about landlords dramatically, and illegally, raising rents to meet rising demand for housing. There is.
A video shared by the Los Angeles County Attorney’s Office shows robbers ransacking a home in Los Angeles’ Palisades fire evacuation zone. January 2025 (LA County Attorney’s Office)
There have also been reports of landlords engaging in “bidding wars” for short-term rentals, which Bonta said is illegal.
“We’re going to arrest people, hold people accountable, and make sure that price gouging ends here in Los Angeles,” Bonta said.
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