INSIDE Community Protest and Petition Against Controversial EPA Plan For Hazardous Waste Site smmirror.com
February 14 - February 20, 2025 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
See Page 7
New Bill Targets Crime in Disaster Zones – Here’s What You Need to Know the California District Lawmakers Push for Firefighters, Attorneys Association, the California Chiefs Association, Los Angeles Tougher Penalties To Police County Sheriff Robert G. Luna, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Protect Vulnerable J. Hochman, Ventura County District Attorney Eric Nasarenko, and Los Angeles Communities County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. California lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at cracking down on looting and impersonation of emergency personnel during wildfires and other natural disasters. Assembly Bill 469 (AB 469), introduced by Assemblymembers Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), and Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey), seeks to strengthen penalties for looting and fraudulent impersonation, close legal loopholes, and provide law enforcement with additional tools to protect communities in disaster zones. The legislation follows recent incidents in mandatory evacuation areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, where looters and individuals posing as first responders have been arrested. “Individuals who put our firefighters at risk and prey on communities when they are at their most vulnerable must be held accountable,” Gabriel said in a statement. “This legislation will provide law enforcement with better tools to crack down on looting and impersonation and encourage criminals to think twice before engaging in such egregious conduct.” The bill has received broad support from law enforcement and fire officials, including the California Professional
Los Angeles County District Attorney Hochman noted the urgency of the bill, stating that “there is zero tolerance for those seeking to exploit disasters through looting, arson, price gouging, and impersonation of first responders.” He pledged to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent and called for making looting a felony. If passed, the bill would: • Allow prosecutors to seek stronger penalties for looting. • Increase penalties for impersonating emergency personnel, including firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, utility workers, and National Guard members. • Close legal loopholes to protect fire-damaged structures and vehicles in evacuation zones. • Ensure law enforcement can detain suspected looters and impersonators instead of issuing citations and releasing them. • Extend protections beyond the immediate disaster response into the recovery and rebuilding phase. The legislation responds to a growing number of looting cases following recent Southern California wildfires. Law enforcement reported multiple
arrests of individuals attempting to steal from evacuated homes. In one case, two people from Oregon were arrested for impersonating firefighters in the Palisades Fire evacuation zone. Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin emphasized the fear and confusion residents face during evacuations, stating that “as we rebuild communities devastated by wildfires, this legislation will help ensure safety and security within evacuation zones.” Pacheco added that “no one should have
to choose between following evacuation orders and protecting their property. This bill sends a clear message: criminals will not be allowed to exploit Californians at their most vulnerable moments.” If approved by the Legislature and signed into law, AB 469 would provide law enforcement with stronger tools to deter and prosecute criminal activity in evacuation areas, reinforcing California’s commitment to safeguarding communities during and after natural disasters.
Mysterious Death Near Santa Monica Shoreline, Police Investigating SMPD Seeks Information About Victim With Facial Trauma
The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered near Lifeguard Tower 1550 along the Santa Monica shoreline early Monday morning. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers responded around 7 a.m. on Feb. 10 after city beach
maintenance personnel reported an unresponsive individual near the waterline. Upon arrival, officers found a female victim inside a sleeping bag with visible trauma to her face. Santa Monica Fire Department personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. The woman’s identity has not yet been determined, and the circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, police said. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Peter Zamfirov at Peter.Zamfirov@santamonica. gov, Sergeant Alfonso Lozano at Alfonso. Lozano@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander at (310) 458-8427.