After several arrests of individuals in recent weeks According to authorities, they are imitation firefightersOfficials now say two more people have been taken into custody for posing as members of the media to enter a fire zone.
Authorities say the two suspects allegedly forged press passes to unlawfully enter a Palisades Fire evacuation zone.
Officers stationed at road closures due to the Palisades Fire came into contact with “two suspicious individuals” who were at separate roadblocks, California Highway Patrol said in a news release Sunday.
CHP arrested two individuals accused of using false press passes to unlawfully enter a fire evacuation zone. (Facebook/California Highway Patrol)
“These individuals were coming and going from the closures while using what appeared to be Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) press passes, and their behavior aroused suspicion,” the statement continued.
California Highway Patrol officers confirmed with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that the press passes were both fake, and both individuals carrying the passes were arrested.
A search of their belongings revealed even more fraudulent press passes.
LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: ARMED HOMEOWNERS PATROL LOOTERS WITHIN EVACUATION ZONE
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said two individuals from Oregon have been arrested for posing as firefighters near the Palisades Fire. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Dept./AP Photo/Jae C. Hong/AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)
The latest arrests follow several others in recent weeks of individuals accused of entering fire zones using deception.
An Oregon couple was arrested Saturday for allegedly pretend to be firefighters after trying to enter an evacuation zone with a fake fire truck.
A burglary suspect disguised as a firefighter was arrested last week, the Los Angeles Police Department previously confirmed to Fox News Digital.
A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire in Santa Monica, California, Tuesday, January 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
“These arrests underscore the strength of our partnership with LASD as we work together to secure and protect the communities affected by the wildfires,” CHP said in the latest statement.
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“Criminal activities such as unlawfully entering evacuation zones, forging press passes and looting will not be tolerated.”
