20 people have been arrested for looting during the deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires.
Law enforcement issued a warning to the public about looters.
"We even made arrests of two individuals that were actually posing as firefighters coming in and out of houses," said Mike Lorenz, a captain of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officials have imposed a mandatory curfew in evacuation zones and Santa Monica, which is near Pacific Palisades.
"Looting is an issue," said Lorenz, and "the number of arrests is continuously growing."
Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent in 2,500 members of the California National Guard troops to guard properties.
He posted on X: "These are criminals of the worst kind — preying on people at their most vulnerable. They will be prosecuted."
Completely agree. These are criminals of the worst kind — preying on people at their most vulnerable. They will be prosecuted. https://t.co/6DpYxiY854
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 12, 2025
LA County Sheriff Roger Luna hopes having soldiers deployed in neighborhoods under evacuation with deter looting, according to the Guardian.
Luna said the move would "help send a stronger message" to people who want to loot, an act he describes as "unacceptable."
The number of dead from the fires grew to 24 over the weekend. 16 were due to the Eaton Fire and another eight deaths were from the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
