Altadena residents who are trying to rebuild following the devastating Eaton Fire say they’re still seeing opportunistic thieves loot fire-affected homes and the community.
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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said its Altadena station has noted an uptick in crime in the area. Arrests are up 250% since the blaze began, with many of those being theft-related.
Amid the discouraging figure, LASD has a simple message for looters – deputies have their eyes on you.
During a recent burglary sting, sheriff’s deputies found copper wire piled up in trucks of cars, catalytic converters and even a homemade explosive in the possession of thieves.
“We arrested 15 individuals – eight felonies, seven misdemeanors for theft in and around the area,” LASD Lt. Ethan Marquez said.
According to Marquez, deputies have been combing the streets of Altadena since the fire. On Monday while on patrol, they encountered two people trying to take copper and electrical wires from Southern California Edison lines.
“Deputies just happened to come across a couple of people, tried to pretend that they were workers in the area and when they stopped and talked to them, it was very obvious that they were not workers and they were able to effect an arrest,” Marquez said.
The lieutenant adds that deputies have seen thieves dressed in PPE gear and other official-like clothing to pass off as Army Corps engineers and other official workers.
“The rebuild is going to take several years and the sheriff’s department and Altadena station is committed to the community,” Marquez said. “And we’re going to keep bringing additional resources in as long as we can to make sure that the theft and all the crime is reduced.”
LASD has a home-check program where residents can request deputies to patrol their homes. To request a home check in Altadena, send a message to AltadenaHomeCheck@LASD.org.
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