Man dressed as firefighter arrested for evacuation zone burglary – NBC Los Angeles

A man wearing a firefighter uniform who was arrested on suspicion of burglary is among more than two dozen people taken into custody for wildfire evacuation zone violations and other crimes in Los Angeles County, authorities said Sunday.

The man wearing a firefighter jacket and hat was in a car with two other people Friday evening in an area of Malibu under a Palisades Fire evacuation order.

“When I was out there in the Malibu area, I saw a gentleman who looked like a firefighter, and I asked him if he was ok because he was sitting down,” LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “I didn’t realize we had him in handcuffs. We were turning him over the LAPD because he was dressed like a fireman and he was not. He just got caught burglarizing a home.”

The county has implemented a curfew that continues to be in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones. Only firefighters, utility workers and law enforcement personnel are allowed in those areas.

In addition to curfew violations, the man was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a firefighter, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said.

“There were three individuals in a vehicle that was stopped,” McDonnell said of the encounter. “They were where they won’t supposed to be. One had on a fire jacket and a fire hat.

“We have people who will go to all ends to do what they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy. “

About 29 people have been arrested for violating an evacuation zone curfews. About 25 of those arrests were in Eaton Fire zones and four were in Palisades Fire zones.

One person arrested in the Eaton Fire zone also resisted arrest, Luna said. Of the six arrests in the Eaton Fire zones Saturday night, three were for curfew violations and three are facing additional charges, including carrying a concealed firearm and narcotics related crimes.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, LAPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell and LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley explain why evacuated Los Angeles residents cannot go home yet

“Those are issues that our frontline deputies and officers are dealing with,” Luna said.

Luna and McDonnell also cautioned against scammers looking to take advantage of people who have already lost homes and belongings to the fires.

The sheriff’s department has increased staffing to 1,200 personnel to patrol evacuation zones, helps with evacuations and other roles. Many are working 12-hour shifts, supplemented by hundreds of National Guard members.

Approximately 105,000 people remained under evacuation orders in all the fire areas. About 87,000 are under evacuation warnings. Officials said the fire areas remains extremely unsafe, with downed power lines, unstable buildings and pockets of fire.