FIRST ON FOX: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is advocating for looting in fire evacuation zones to be classified as a felony following a request from prosecutors in Southern California for stricter penalties, as exclusively revealed by Fox News Digital.
“Preying on individuals at their most vulnerable is reprehensible, these criminals are among the worst kinds,” Newsom stated in a message provided to Fox News Digital on Thursday afternoon.
Newsom emphasized that “looting has never been legal here” and emphasized that “it will not be tolerated” as the state continues to battle the devastating inferno that began on Jan. 7.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom faced pressure this week from Southern California prosecutors to issue heftier penalties for looters and arsonists. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)
“And that’s why I’ve tasked – from the beginning – support from CalGuard and CHP [California Highway Patrol] to protect impacted residents and their property,” Newsom said.
As firefighters continue to battle the blaze across the region, Los Angeles County’s recently elected tough-on-crime district attorney, Nathan Hochman, has issued several arson felonies this week in unrelated cases. Authorities have arrested at least a dozen individuals in connection with looting and arson.
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A general view of the burned residential areas as wildfires continue to wreak havoc in Los Angeles on Jan. 12, 2025. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hochman issued a warning to others “contemplating similar acts,” promising individuals would be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Armed homeowners in some neighborhoods affected by the fires have taken it upon themselves to protect homes that remain undamaged.
Newsom’s public appeal comes after Hochman and District Attorney Todd Spitzer of neighboring Orange County joined forces on Tuesday to request that looting be classified as a felony. Newsom has faced criticism for his crisis management from celebrities and lawmakers recently.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tours the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles wildfires have claimed the lives of two dozen individuals, and authorities anticipate the number to rise as containment efforts continue.
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Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
