A couple of dumbass jerk losers from Oregon were arrested in California after positing as firefighters dealing with the Pacific Palisades blaze. A Los Angeles Police Department unit was patrolling an evacuation zone over the weekend when they saw a firetruck that “did not appear to be legitimate,” according to the sheriff’s department.
When cops took a closer look, they found 31-year-old Dustin Nehl and 44-year-old Jennifer Nehl in the truck wearing fire gear with Cal Fire shirts underneath. They also had helmets and radios, a statement from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, posted on Facebook, reads. It all looked pretty much legit, but things got screwy when police started questioning the pair. They told police they had come from the “Roaring River Fire Department” in Oregon. You see, that’s not a real agency, and upon further investigation, police realized the truck was purchased at auction.
The gruesome twosome admitted to police that this was their second day in the evacuation zone – showing up on both January 17 and 18. Both were arrested at the scene, and the firetruck was impounded, police say. It’s not entirely clear why the Nehls were dressed as firefighters in the evacuation zone. Police make no mention of their intent or whether or not they were looters.
This evacuation zone has proven to be fertile ground for home looters looking to take advantage of the situation and the Nehl’s aren’t the first folks to dress up as firefighters, as ABC News explains:
Other threats of looting and burglary loom over Los Angeles County, after disastrous fires have devastated communities. With 200,000 people initially under mandatory evacuations, homes were empty, allowing criminals the opportunity to steal valuables.
Earlier this month, a man dressed as a firefighter was caught burglarizing a home in Malibu, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Robert Luna. The suspect, Ivan Reed, 34, has been charged with impersonating a firefighter, according to the district attorney’s office.
Dozens of people have been charged with various crimes pertaining to the LA wildfires, including looting and arson. LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman highlighted individuals last week who were charged with stealing $200,000 worth of property from a home in the Mandeville Canyon area of Los Angeles, while another person allegedly stole an Emmy Award from someone’s evacuated home in Altadena.
The Sheriff’s Department did mention that Dustin has a rap sheet in Oregon for criminal mischief and arson. Anyway, police are asking anyone with information to contact the Major Crimes Bureau if you’ve got any information on these two idiots. For now, the two will be charged on January 21 in Los Angeles County court.
