Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday that thieves taking advantage of abandoned property and anyone who doesn't heed evacuation orders will be arrested.
Twenty people so far have been arrested for looting, Luna said, adding that "depriving these poor people who have been through so much…absolutely unacceptable."
Unfortunately, Luna said, he expects that number to rise, Fox 11 reports.
Luna added that he is going to tell his deputies that if residents are told to evacuate their homes – and they don't – then they might face either a misdemeanor or felony.
What happens when people don't evacuate is that deputies then must resort to "heroic actions" to save them, Luna said, which puts more people in unnecessary danger.
"Our deputies are constantly putting their lives on the line," Luna said. "And every example I'm given is a result of somebody who chose not to evacuate.
In all, 180,00 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders as of Thursday, Luna said, and another 200,000 people are under evacuation warnings.
