HOT PURSUIT

LA Cops Bust Suspected Looter as Residents Fear Wildfire Robberies

A news crew was on hand when police detained a man “caught in the act” of ransacking a home during the ongoing disaster.

The Los Angeles Police Department detained a suspected looter in West Hollywood on Wednesday evening amid fears from local residents that their homes will be ransacked if they flee the wildfires decimating the city. A KCAL News crew was on hand when, as reporter Madison Keavy said, someone was detained in the back of a police cruiser after they were “caught in the act of looting.” She added: “Homeowners tell me they’re afraid to leave right now. In fact, our cameras saw three men on scooters immediately turn around when they saw police.” More than 100,000 residents have been forced to flee since a hurricane-strength windstorm helped spread fires amid extended drought conditions. Five vast blazes were roaring across the city as of early Thursday, none of them yet contained by emergency responders, and already roughly 27,000 acres have been scorched. West Hollywood is near what officials have dubbed the Sunset Fire, which has already prompted the evacuation of landmarks including Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Private security professionals have reported working round the clock to protect homes during the disaster. Private security professionals have reported working round the clock to protect homes during the disaster while Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has vowed to punish criminals exploiting the fires “to the fullest extent of the law.”

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