DA: 8 charged with looting homes during LA fires

Eight people who allegedly looted homes during the massive fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades have been charged with residential burglary and two others have been charged with other crimes, including a man who allegedly set a fire at a park in Azusa, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced today.  

Roy Sims, 18; Ryan Sims, 19; Naquan Dewey Reddix, 22; and Pierie Obannon, 19, were charged with one count each of first-degree residential burglary involving a home in Altadena during the early morning hours last Wednesday in which a variety of property was taken, including an Emmy Award that belonged to the resident, the district attorney told reporters at a news conference Monday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles.  

Rudy Salazar, 19, and Lucia Jilrara Perez, 36, were charged with two counts each of first-degree residential burglary for allegedly entering two homes and stealing property during the Eaton Fire in Altadena last Wednesday afternoon, Hochman said.

Martrell Peoples, 22, and Damari Bell, 21, were charged with one count each of first-degree residential burglary and looting during an emergency or evacuation involving a home in the Mandeville Canyon area of Los Angeles between the late evening hours last Wednesday and the early morning last Thursday in a crime caught on a Ring camera, the district attorney said.   

Peoples -- a potential third-strike defendant who could face life in prison if convicted -- and Bell -- a potential second-strike defendant who could face nearly 23 years behind bars -- were tracked to an apartment in Koreatown, where they were arrested while allegedly in possession of items that had been stolen, according to Hochman.  

Travon Coleman, 27, allegedly accompanied the men outside of the Koreatown apartment, got into another vehicle that went through a traffic light and struck another vehicle whose occupant who suffered a concussion, the district attorney said. Coleman -- who is also a potential third-strike defendant -- could also face life in prison if he is convicted of one felony count of hit-and-run causing great bodily injury, according to Hochman.   

The 10th suspect, Jose Gerardo Escobar, 39, was charged with one count each of arson, arson during a state of emergency and attempted arson involving a blaze that was quickly contained late last Friday night at Pioneer Park in Azusa.

The district attorney noted that he and other leaders had warned that those "who are seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit" would be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

"Do not go ahead and engage in looting, engage in Internet scams, engage in price gouging. Do not commit any of these crimes in which people are trying to profit from the tragedy of the people who have suffered from these various fires,'' Hochman said.

Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Blake Chow called the charges "really important to send a message to the people out there that are not only thinking about going up there and victimizing the properties but the stuff that may come after this in the form of scams.''

"You're not going to get away with it,'' he vowed.  

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton noted that police are "continuing to make progress'' in their investigation into an incident ``where it appears various individuals were attempting to identify themselves as firefighters.''   

``... I anticipate that is going to result in a successful filing as well,'' he said, noting that investigators believe there were ``conspiratorial acts involved in their activity.''

He noted that authorities are aware that ``there are other crimes that have occurred'' and said he wants the public to know that police are continuing their probes into those crimes.

Sheriff Robert Luna said he wanted to assure the public that ``we mean business.''  

``.. Whether we are talking about burglary, looting, we're talking about scams, we're talking about the misuse of drones, whatever it is, we're going to get you,'' the sheriff said. ``Do not make this worse than it already is. We're in the middle of this. We have a lot of work to do.''

He urged people who do not have any ``legitimate business'' being in active curfew areas between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to stay out.   

Luna said earlier more than 30 people had been arrested for various crimes in the burn areas, including looting. Santa Monica police have announced more than 40 arrests in that city, most of them for violating curfew orders, but some for burglary or possession of burglary tools.