Proposed legislation AB 469 aims to stop looting, impersonating emergency workers during disasters
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Local officials and lawmakers announced legislation proposing to toughen laws against looting and impersonating emergency workers during disasters and the recovery process.
The proposed legislation -- AB 469 -- was announced Monday morning at the Hall of Justice. The bill aims to keep potential looters away from disaster zones, protect first responders and also protect the property of people fleeing their home to safety.
The legislation was motivated by the devastating January wildfires with more than two dozen arrests of people accused of looting in fire zones, with some allegedly impersonating firefighters to avoid law enforcement.
"We owed it to them to make sure that the remnants of their community would be kept as safe as possible," said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
AB 469 would make looting a felony if you're caught engaging in that behavior, increasing prison time from the existing one year penalty to up to four years behind bars. The bill also makes impersonating any first responder during a disaster an enhanced felony.
"Our message today is simple: Individuals who put our firefighters at risk or prey on communities when they're at their most vulnerable must be held accountable," said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel of Encino.
In one such instance, an Oregon man and woman were arrested for impersonating firefighters with a fire truck they allegedly purchased at an auction. They are accused of targeting the Palisades Fire area in an effort to loot.
"When theft occurs in a disaster zone in a state of emergency, it needs to be charged appropriately, fairly, and it needs to represents the conduct of the crime," said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.
The bill would also extend into the rebuilding process, ensuring people and their property remain safe.
"This is not a victimless crime. This is about individuals who have left everything behind, only to come back and see their home is still standing, (but) have it burglarized," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
The soonest AB 469 could go into effect is January 2026. However, given the circumstances, lawmakers said they're working very closely with Gov. Gavin Newsom to move it through the legislature in an expedited fashion.
City News Service contributed to this report.
