Los Angeles Residents Vow to Shoot Wildfire Looters on Sight As Prosecutors Prepare to Charge First Batch of Burglars

Desperate Los Angeles residents are issuing stark warnings to thieves in wildfire evacuation zones, as looters have resorted to disguising themselves as firefighters.

So far, 68 suspected looters have been arrested, according to The Daily Mail. The rise in criminals invading evacuated areas in the hopes of taking advantage of the disaster has prompted some citizens to pledge that they will shoot looters on site

Several warning signs, some stating that "Looters will be shot," have popped up in evacuation areas, according to multiple reports.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department released images of two alleged looters caught near the Getty Villa along the Pacific Coast Highway. One of the alleged looters was dressed as a fireman. In the image, the fake firefighter is seen handcuffed and sitting on a curb.

The two men rode up to the checkpoint on a moped, reported KTLA-5. The fake fireman had boots, jeans and a yellow fire jacket with Cal Fire's old acronym CDF, which stood for California Department of Forestry and Fire, the station reported.

The arrest is only the latest example of police arresting suspected looters in the area of the devastating California wildfires that have destroyed thousands of structures over the last week and led to thousands of evacuations.

In some areas, private security personnel are supplementing police efforts to prevent looting. Private guard Arturo Garcia was cited by The Daily Mail. He said that his team caught one man leaving an address with a luxury bag filled with a drone and a toy car.

Police have arrested 39 people in the Santa Monica evacuation zone, 10 of which had burglary tools, KTLA-5 reported.

In Irwindale, firefighters spotted an alleged arsonist starting fires. Police said 29-year-old Ruben Montes was taken into custody, KTLA-5 reported.

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