L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies have been out in full force, catching looters stealing from the homes of victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
Since the fire broke out on Jan. 7, there have been 57 burglaries, and the department has arrested 67 people for looting or burglary, according to Altadena Sheriff Station Lieutenant Ethan Marquez.
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"People have lost everything here, and we have people coming in and sifting through the remnants of what little property they have left in their lives, Lt. Marquez told KNX News' Emily Valdez. "If you think about it from a humanitarian standpoint, it's probably one of the worst things you can do to somebody after they've lost their house."
The good news is that the looters may be getting the message and staying away. Marquez reports that they have only arrested six people so far in February so far.
In addition to extra deputies, they perform helicopter flyovers daily. They deploy a sheriff's department drone as an extra eye in the sky, and the National Guard is still on the scene.
Though the crime spree seems to be subsiding, people whose homes are still standing can sign up with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department to have a deputy drive by and check their homes every day.
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