Newsom calls for criminalization of looting in evacuation zones amid LA fires
First on Fox: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is questioning the criminalization of looting in fire evacuation zones after Southern California prosecutors urged him to impose tougher penalties this week, Fox News Digital has learned.
“It’s despicable to prey on the most vulnerable people, these criminals are among the worst,” Newsom said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday afternoon.
“Looting has never been legal here” and “will not be tolerated,” Newsome said as he continued to battle the devastating fire that broke out on Jan. 7.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom faced pressure this week from Southern California prosecutors to impose tougher penalties on burglars and arsonists. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)
“That’s why I’ve enlisted the help of CalGuard and the CHP (California Highway Patrol) to protect the affected residents and their property,” Newsom said.
In California, robbery is currently classified as a “felony offense,” meaning it can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor. But judges have the power to reduce charges to misdemeanors even over prosecutorial objections.
So far, Los Angeles County’s newly appointed felony district attorney, Nathan Hockman, has issued several arson charges this week as firefighters battle the blaze in unrelated cases. Fox News Digital previously reported that authorities have arrested at least ten individuals in connection with this Looting and burning.
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In the year January 12, 2025 An overview of the burned residential areas as wildfires continue to wreak havoc in Los Angeles. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hockman issued a warning to others “contemplating similar actions”, promising that individuals “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”. Armed homeowners in some neighborhoods affected by the fire took matters into their own hands to protect their homes.
Newsom’s public call comes after Hockman of neighboring Orange County and District Attorney Todd Spitzer on Tuesday asked the governor to make robbery a felony. Newsom has recently been criticized for linking the crisis to celebrities and lawmakers.
Hockman and Spitzer’s proposal seeks to reclassify robbery as a direct crime, requiring state jail time rather than county jail time as it currently does.
California Governor Gavin Newsom visits the Pacific Palisades downtown business district on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles wildfires have killed two dozen people, and the toll is expected to rise as authorities continue efforts to contain it.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Spitzer and Hockman for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.