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A man accused of arson and a group of looters Attacks on homes in evacuation zones amid wildfires raging in Los Angeles County have been charged, officials said Monday.
Charges were filed against a group of people accused of residential looting in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas, while arson charges were filed against a man in Azusa, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. during a press conference.
“These are the people who seek to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit,” Hochman said. “These are people who have engaged in looting and arson. We have also investigated price gouging and will be investigating internet scams and the like.”
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Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman discusses the re-sentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez for the murders of their parents decades ago during a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. . (AP Photo/Damián Dovarganes)
Three suspects identified as Martrell Peoples, Damari Bell and Travon Coleman committed residential burglaries in Mandeville Canyon to the tune of more than $200,000 in property hours after the fires started, Hochman said. They were seen on a Ring camera inside a home, he said.
They were eventually linked to an apartment in Koreatown, where they were arrested. Several stolen items were recovered from that home, authorities said.
Peoples, who has two previous punishments, faces a third, meaning he is considering a possible life sentence under California’s Three Strikes Law, authorities said. Bell faces 22 years in prison.
Other defendants also include Rudy Salazar and Lucía Jilrara Pérez, who face two counts each of first-degree residential burglary in connection with looting in Altadena on Jan. 8 while the Eaton Fire burned. The couple allegedly entered two homes and were surprised while entering a third.
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Screenshot of looting suspects at a Pacific Palisades home. (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office)
A third group of alleged looters robbed a home in Altadenaincluding an Emmy Award, which was recovered, authorities said. They were identified as Roy Sims, Ryan Sims Quan, Naquan Dewey Reddix and Pierie Obannon.
“In the Palisades area and the fires that we’ve experienced in Los Angeles, isn’t it bad enough that we have 40,000 people potentially, who have been evacuated from an area, and then we have a handful of people who want to come with activity to victimize them “said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Blake Chow. “It’s not enough that they have to worry about their properties, rebuilding and things like that.”
Arson suspect Jose Carranza-Escobar is accused of trying to set fire to a large tree that had fallen to the ground in Pioneer Park. He was seen “standing next to the flames” and was immediately detained, police said at the time of his arrest.
“During the investigation, Carranza admitted to starting the fire and was arrested for arson,” a police statement said.
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Azusa police arrested Jose Carranza-Escobar, a 39-year-old homeless man suspected of arson, just steps from a small wildfire they say he admitted to setting as Los Angeles battles multiple large wildfires. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Escobar faces nine years in prison and was expected to be arraigned Monday.
Authorities have warned potential criminals not to attack homes that have been evacuated. In Santa Monicia, authorities have arrested at least 10 robbery suspects since the Palisades Fire started last week.
Looting in a home in Altadena during the fires. (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office)
six had robbery tools With them, a couple had the Watch Duty app open on their phone to track evacuation zones, sources told Fox News. The Santa Monica Police Department said officers were able to stop the robberies before they happened.
In total, Santa Monica police have made 39 arrests in evacuation zones. None of the suspects live in the city.
(Left to right) Joshua Kaliel Love, Miguel Angel Dorantes, Gabriel Asaih Stokes and Dominic Pachecomanga were four of 10 suspects charged with robbery within the Palisades Fire evacuation zones in Santa Monica. (Santa Monica Police Department)
Those who were not charged with attempted robbery were arrested for curfew violations, drug possession, warrants and probation violations. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has made 34 arrests since the fires started. Sheriff Robert Luna he said Monday in a separate news conference.
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“This is a strong message from all of us: We are here and when we catch people, we mean business,” he said. “If you don’t have any legitimate business in these areas, stay outside because our deputies are detaining people constitutionally, I might add, and they are asking people questions.”
“We are finding narcotics. We are finding individuals carrying weapons. And guess what? None of them live in these areas,” he added.
