Amid the ongoing wildfires ravaging Southern California, reports of looters targeting evacuated homes have added another layer of chaos for affected residents.
Allison Agsten, a resident in the Los Angeles area, told KTLA on Thursday that her neighbor witnessed around 100 individuals on scooters attempting to break into homes in her neighborhood.
“We just started seeing all these cars pull up,” Agsten said.
“Doors open, and groups of men are running up our street, going up to the doors of these houses. My next-door neighbor said, his quote, ‘there were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses.’”
HUNDREDS OF LOOTERS INVADE PALISADES NEIGHBORHOOD
‘Cars pull up, doors open, and groups of men run up to the doors of evacuated houses. There were 100 people who came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses.’pic.twitter.com/F86N1AzmlI
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 10, 2025
Celebrate Trump's Historic 2024 Victory with the Exclusive Trump 47th President Collection!
Jesse Watters weighed in, calling the streets of Los Angeles the ‘Wild West.’
‘Looters on Scooter’: LA Streets are Turning into the ‘Wild, Wild West’
In the aftermath of severe wildfires in LA, the community faces devastation with 11 deaths, numerous missing persons, and a destruction of land comparable to San Francisco’s size.
The fires have left a… pic.twitter.com/spN6K8u3Lw
— RVM News (@redvoicenews) January 11, 2025
In response to these reports, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of 8,000 California National Guard troops on Thursday to secure fire-affected zones.
The announcement followed statements from Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, who confirmed the arrest of 20 individuals suspected of looting in areas evacuated due to the fires.
“Looting will not be tolerated. These communities have suffered enough,” Governor Newsom posted on X (formerly Twitter). “The National Guard deployment will bring our total on-the-ground personnel to 8,000. We will continue to use every resource available to keep our communities safe.”
Looting will not be tolerated. These communities have suffered enough.
The National Guard deployment will bring our total on-the-ground personnel to 8,000.
We will continue to use every resource available to keep our communities safe. https://t.co/8rw9SsfcWK
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025
Madisen Keavy, a reporter for KCAL News, confirmed that her crew’s cameras had captured three men on scooters turning away after spotting police.
She spoke with a homeowner who said she was considering leaving the area but was doing everything possible to secure her house before departing.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman condemned the looting, pledging strict consequences for those found guilty. “They’ll be looking at going to jail. They’ll be looking at going to prison. They’ll be looking to pay back anything they stole. They’ll be looking at community service,” Hochman told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.
“There isn’t a type of punishment we won’t consider for them, because basically I view these crimes as despicable.”
Hochman added, “The day and age of a DA’s office standing on the sidelines is over. We want to bring justice, and we will.”
View this post on Instagram
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger echoed these sentiments during a Thursday press conference.
“I promise you, you will be held accountable. Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis.”
Despite Agsten’s claims and reports by local outlets, a spokesperson for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department told the Daily Caller News Foundation that law enforcement had not received any reports of “scooter-riding thieves” in the area.
The department acknowledged the arrests of suspected looters but stated that no specific incidents involving scooters had been reported.
As of Thursday night, the L.A. County Medical Examiner confirmed 10 fire-related fatalities.
The Palisades Fire, the largest of six major wildfires burning in Southern California, has reached only 8% containment, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The fires have forced approximately 180,000 residents to evacuate their homes, leaving communities vulnerable to both natural destruction and criminal activity.
The dual crises of wildfires and looting have left residents feeling unsafe and uncertain. Officials have urged residents to report any suspicious activity and remain vigilant.
MORE NEWS: ICE to Launch ‘Big F**king Operation’ in Sanctuary Cities Right After Trump Inauguration [WATCH]
The National Guard deployment, coupled with increased law enforcement presence, aims to provide some measure of security for communities grappling with the aftermath of this disaster.
The situation remains fluid as firefighters continue battling the blazes and authorities work to maintain order in the affected areas.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.
Wasn’t there already one person apprehended by citizens with a torch who was trying to set trash cans on fire who was taken in and released. How is this enforcing the law when you release someone who was trying to start more fires. I feel for the citizens of California going thru this, but your officials seem to just be saying what you want to hear, but still not enforcing any laws. Only the citizens there can hold them accountable and it’s time you truly look at who you are voting for and are they providing for your needs or just wasting your hard-earned tax dollars on their progressive ideas. Which is more important to you, your livelihood and possessions or the rights of people who aren’t citizens and projects which don’t benefit you. If you think the latter, then you should not expect others to want to help you in the future. You need to help yourselves first and that starts with the people you vote into office to represent you. If you are not their first concern, you have voted for the wrong person and should realize they won’t provide the safety and services needed to protect you. An elected official’s job is to provide for the citizens in their state, town or community not everyone else in the world and it’s time for them to start putting their citizens first and for citizens to demand it. Compassion is nice but this should come from the citizens directly or at a federal level if needed. The people now left with nothing are going to find out that these local officials that were more concerned about everyone else won’t be there for them and won’t provide any funding to assist them recover. Any help they receive will come from the federal level and it won’t cover their loss, yet we send billions to help others and protect those who shouldn’t have it when they violate our laws. We have to start with our needs and then individuals should decide what they want to donate or provide to others. Neighbors helped neighbors and your elected officials have failed your communities and removed or reduced services you should have had. It is time to wake up because now you have nothing and won’t be able to help others and are looking for help, but it won’t be at the level we seem to always provide for the non-citizens in our country.
Shoot the looters on site. Do not put up with this crap.
In a normal world, the “mayor” needs to give the police permission to “shoot to kill.” Mayor Dailey did exactly this in similar circumstances (looting) in Chicago, and the problem went away in an hour.
In my state you could shoot and kill them and it would be legal.
It’s time to outlaw scooters so that those honest citizens who gave up their guns to tyranny can feel safe.
Shotguns, just lead’em a little bit.