While there are 16 confirmed deaths as a result of the Los Angeles wildfires with numbers expected to steadily rise, 20 individuals have been arrested for looting.
The LA County Sheriff Roger Luna is considering having soldiers deployed in Los Angeles to deter looting in neighborhoods that have become ghost towns because of wildfire evacuation orders, reported the Guardian.
Luna said the move would "help send a stronger message" to people who want to loot, an act he describes as "unacceptable."
Law enforcement issued a warning to the public about looters.
"We even made arrests of two individuals that were actually posing as firefighters coming in and out of houses," said Mike Lorenz, the captain of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officials have imposed a mandatory curfew in evacuation zones and Santa Monica, which is nearby Pacific Palisades.
"Looting is an issue," said the captain of the Los Angeles Police Department and "the number of arrests is continuously growing."
Originally published on Latin Times
