They're the usual suspects.
Since the California wildfires erupted on January 7, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has been stopping hundreds of individuals lingering in the Palisades Evacuation Zone, leading to a slew of arrests. To date, they've nabbed more than 40 thugs attempting to exploit the crisis, authorities announced in a press release Monday morning.
Ten were arrested for burglary, six were found in possession of "burglary tools," one had an app open that tracks evacuation areas, and two had concealed handguns. The rest were taken into custody for a range of other offenses, including drug possession, outstanding warrants, and parole/probation violations. None of the suspects are from Santa Monica, police said, meaning all of them had traveled to the disaster area as the fires forced survivors to flee their homes.
SMPD highlighted a handful of incidents involving some of these apprehensions. At approximately 10:00 p.m. on January 11, a witness reported seeing a suspect combing through cabinets in the common area and garage of an apartment building on San Vicente Boulevard. Officers tracked down the perp, later identified as Joshua Kaliel Love, to an alleyway where he allegedly fled the scene upon being spotted. Love was eventually detained without incident. Police reportedly found a gold-colored window punch, known as a common burglary tool, in Love's possession as well as a blue mechanic glove and a ski mask. One of the officers recognized Love from an earlier January 10 encounter when he was advised about the curfew and evacuation orders. Love was arrested at that time for possession of methamphetamine and let go.Last night, SMPD officers arrested 3 individuals near the evacuation zone for:
— Santa Monica Police (@SantaMonicaPD) January 13, 2025
🔹 Possession of a controlled substance
🔹 Possession of drug paraphernalia
🔹 Driving without a valid license
🔹 Providing false ID to a peace officer
🔹 Possession of burglary tools
Between January… pic.twitter.com/MpcIOr6Tr8
