In Santa Monica, ten people have been arrested for allegedly trying to commit burglaries in areas evacuated due to the Palisades Fire, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Interestingly, none of the suspects are locals, and some were caught with tools commonly used for break-ins. One pair was even using an app called Watch Duty to keep tabs on the evacuation zones.
Police were able to intervene before any of the planned burglaries took place. One suspect, 29-year-old Joshua Kaliel Love, tried to make a run for it but was eventually caught. When arrested, police said he was carrying a dagger, a tool for breaking windows, a mask, gloves, and some drugs.
In another case, 22-year-old Miguel Angel Dorantes and 18-year-old Dominic Pachecomanga were arrested together. They were stopped after running a stop sign in the van they were using. Another suspect, 27-year-old Gabriel Isaih Stokes, was also taken into custody.
Since the start of the Palisades Fire, authorities say a total of 39 people have been arrested in evacuation zones. While some were suspected of planning burglaries, others were detained for curfew violations, drug possession, outstanding warrants, or breaking probation rules.
This situation highlights how some individuals try to take advantage of emergencies, but thanks to quick action by the police, the attempted crimes were stopped in their tracks.
