Joint task force launched, new legislation targets wildfire-related looting

Federal and state law enforcement officials from Los Angeles and Orange counties unveiled two major initiatives on Wednesday to address the recent wildfires. These include the establishment of a multi-agency Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force and the proposal of new legislation aimed at strengthening penalties for disaster-related property crimes, particularly looting.

"There is a special place in jail for those who exploit the vulnerable in the wake of deadly fires," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman wrote in the statement. "As hundreds of thousands of families face the unimaginable anguish of fleeing their homes, uncertain whether they'll ever return, the last thing they should fear is the added trauma of criminals preying on their misfortune."

"Current law falls woefully short for punishing these scavengers who are nothing more than graverobbers, stealing the last remaining possessions from those who have already lost everything, including their own lives," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

Also Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the formation of an interagency task force comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to investigate criminal wrongdoing related to the wildfires.

"We will not permit victims to be re-victimized," Estrada said. "Our community has suffered tremendously, and we are here to support them. The Joint Fire Crimes Task Force is committed to addressing crimes coming out of the fires, including any looting, arson, illegal drone flights and fraud. As the rebuilding process begins and donations and relief funds come in, we must ensure that those seeking to take advantage through criminal activity are held fully accountable."

The wildfires throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties have resulted in at least 25 fatalities and the destruction of over 12,000 structures, including homes and businesses. Since then, there has been widespread looting of homes within evacuated neighborhoods, particularly tony Pacific Palisades. More than 50 individuals suspected of burglarizing homes have been arrested.

Law enforcement have recovered multiple stolen items, including an Emmy statuette valued at more than $200,000.

Hochman and Spitzer have submitted draft legislation to the Legislative Council to amend California Penal Code 463, elevating looting during declared emergencies from a wobbler offense to a state prison felony with a determinate sentence of two to four years. The proposal also creates a new felony for trespassing with intent to commit larceny during emergencies, addressing a key gap in current law.

The legislation mandates judicial review for pretrial release, introduces a sentencing enhancement of one to three years for qualifying felonies committed during emergencies, and designates looting as a serious felony under California's Three Strikes Law. It also eliminates diversion program eligibility, ensuring full prosecution of offenders. If enacted through the special legislative session, the provisions would take immediate effect as urgency legislation.

Estrada said the federal task force's jurisdiction will encompass four categories of offense: looting and property crimes, arson investigations, unauthorized drone operations in restricted airspace, and disaster-related fraud schemes.

A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Response Team has been deployed to investigate the origins of the fires, with federal arson statutes carrying mandatory minimum sentences of five years and potential enhancement to life imprisonment in cases resulting in fatalities.