As wildfires continue to ravage Southern California, local law enforcement has arrested numerous people attempting to take advantage of the situation.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Deadline that two individuals were arrested at the Vice President’s Brentwood home at 4:40am on Saturday. Ultimately, they could not prove the individuals were involved in burglary, however they were detained for “violating curfew.”
As of late last week, a curfew has been imposed on evacuation zones from 6pm to 6am to curb looting and unrest.
Since the fires started, officers have made 29 arrests across the impacted areas, including for burglary, breaking curfew and other violations.
Fires have broken out in the Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, Malibu, the Hollywood Hills and other areas around Los Angeles County amid a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm that picked up Tuesday.
The Palisades Fire burns near Brentwood on Jan. 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As of Sunday, at least 14 people have died in the Southern California wildfires, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has received 16 missing persons reports related to the fires. Meanwhile, more than 105,000 people have received mandatory evacuation orders, with another 87,000 under evacuation warnings.
President Joe Biden, who extended his Los Angeles trip on Wednesday to visit first responders and those affected, declared the fires a major disaster and directed the federal government to cover 100% of costs for disaster assistance.
“Over 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate communities impacted by the Southern California wildfires,” wrote Biden on X. “At least two people have been killed. And many more are injured — including firefighters. It’s devastating. To the residents of Southern California: We are with you.”