Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Friday that nine more people have been charged with committing crimes in the county during the massive fires, including a man who allegedly told sheriff's deputies that he was a firefighter while in a mandatory evacuation area in Malibu and six men who are accused of setting starting smaller blazes in other areas.
Ivan Cedric Reed , 34, is accused of wearing a yellow firefighter jacket and having a first responder's radio in the mandatory evacuation area at 18343 Clifftop Way about 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the District Attorney's Office. He is charged with one felony count of receiving stolen property exceeding $950 in value and one misdemeanor count each of impersonating a firefighter, unlawful use of a badge and unauthorized entry of a closed disaster area.
Six other people have been charged with arson in connection with fires set in South Gate, Huntington Park, Los Angeles, Hawthorne and Compton.
Luis Felipe Gudino, 28, is charged with one count of felony arson during a state of emergency for allegedly igniting a couch at the rear of an apartment building Monday in South Gate. The fire -- which damaged a utility pole and charred the exteriof of the apartment building -- spread from the couch to a nearby utility pole and surrounding area before being put out by the County Fire Department, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Richard Alexander Peterson, 36, is charged with one count of felony arson during a state of emergency for allegedly dragging a Christmas tree onto the sidewalk in front of a motel in South Gate and igniting the tree, which burned Monday afternoon, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Omar Lopez, 35, is charged with two counts of felony arson during a state of emergency for allegedly lighting a dried Christmas tree on fire that was on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building Tuesday at 6915 Templeton St. in Huntington Park, then igniting a larger tree in a courtyard of a nearby building, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Manuel Rodriguez, 35, is charged with one felony count each of arson during a state of emergency and arson of property of another for allegedly setting a fire Monday inside a trash bin behind the closed Donald Bruce Kaufman Brentwood Branch Library, at 11820 San Vicente Blvd., in Los Angeles, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Travis Glodt, 34, is charged with three counts of felony arson of property of another for allegedly starting fires at about 10 p.m. Monday by using a lighter to set fire to a Hawthorne city water shut off valve and vegetation at 11601 Hawthorne Blvd., gathering up trash against the wall/front door at 11939 Hawthorne Blvd. and igniting it, then lighting bushes on fire next to a cement post at a store at 11983 Hawthorne Blvd., according to the District Attorney's Office.
Leopoldo Reveles, 49, is charged with two counts of felony arson of property of another for allegedly using a blow torch Monday morning to light trash on fire next to the train tracks at Carlin Avenue and Alameda Street in Compton, causing a fire and damaging a fire hydrant, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Meanwhile, Joshua Love, 29, is accused of attempting to burglarize an apartment complex at 416 San Vicente in Santa Monica at about 10 p.m. last Saturday, according to the District Attorney's Office. He is charged with one felony count each of looting during an emergency or evacuation, attempted second-degree burglary and unauthorized entry of closed disaster area; along with one misdemeanor count each of possession of burglary tools, interference at the scene of emergency, misdemeanor trespass by entering and occupying and possession of an injection/ingestion device in case 25ARCF00081. It is further alleged that the defendant had previously been convicted of a serious and/or violent felony.
The ninth defendant, Keyshon Walker, 22, was allegedly stopped while driving in an evacuation zone at about 3 a.m. Monday, according to the District Attorney's Office. Officers found .357-caliber ammunition and an AR-15 magazine, along with a drone, walkie talkies, burglary tools, gloves and a window-punch tool in his vehicle, and he was charged with one felony count each of unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of a firearm by a felon, along with one misdemeanor count each of possession of burglars' tools; and interference at the scene of an emergency.
"To anyone who believes they can use this disaster as a cover for criminal activity, let this be your warning: You will be caught, and you will be held accountable," Hochman said. "The citizens of this county deserve safety and justice, especially in the wake of such unprecedented devastation, and I will not rest until we achieve both."
Nearly a dozen other people had been charged earlier this week with crimes including burglary, looting and arson.