At least 73 arrested amid LA wildfires, including burglary suspect dressed as firefighter

At least 73 people have been arrested in the areas being evacuated due to multiple wildfires that have wreaked havoc on the Los Angeles area for nearly a week. Many of these arrests have been for burglary and looting.

Santa Monica Police Department Lt. Erika Aklufi told KTLA that a total of 39 people were arrested between January 7, the day the Palisades fire started, and January 12. Of those arrests, 10 were for burglary. 

Three were arrested for one incident on 18th street, four were arrested in the 200 block of Euclid Street, and two more were arrested at 10th Street and Carlyle Avenue. Six of the 10 arrested were in possession of burglary tools. The other arrests were made for curfew violations, driving violations, drug possession, outstanding warrants, and parole and probation violations. None of the 39 people arrested were residents of Santa Monica.

"This is a significant increase in the normal number of arrests we would have in the neighborhoods. Considering the circumstances, our officers did an amazing job saturating the evacuation areas and tamping down criminal activity," Aklufi wrote in an email to the outlet.

On Monday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced that 34 arrests have been made so far by his department. 30 of these arrests were made in the area of the Eaton fire and four were made in the Palisades area. He said that four people had been arrested overnight, two for curfew violations and two for a "drone incident."

He stressed, "if you do not have business in the evacuation areas, do not go there. Please. You’re infringing upon the work that our first responders need to attend to." He also noted that not all of the arrests were for looting, burglary, or curfew violations.

In a Sunday press conference, Luna said that a man suspected of burglary had been arrested in the Malibu area and was wearing firefighter gear, per CBS News. 

"I saw a gentleman who looked like a firefighter, and I asked if he was okay because he was sitting down, and I didn't realize we had him in handcuffs. We were turning him over to the LAPD because he was dressed like a fireman and was not. He just got caught burglarizing a home," he said.