Looters Focus on Hollywood Stars' Mansions Amid California Wildfires as Countless Valuables Stolen — A-List Actress Rages 'F*** You!'
Julia Roberts had a message for looters trying to take advantage of the fires.
Jan. 14 2025, Published 5:50 p.m. ET
As if the residents of Southern California don't have enough to already worry about with raging out of control wildfires forcing them to evacuate – now they have to worry about looters ransacking their homes while they are away.
So far, at least eight people have been arrested for looting at least $200,000 worth of valuables during the Palisades and Eaton fires, RadarOnline.com has learned, including a prized Emmy award.
Million dollar neighborhoods have been burned to the ground.
With fears of fires continuing to spread, and emergency evacuations continuing to be ordered, Los Angeles officials have warned homeowners to watch their stuff.
And that includes some famous Hollywood celebrities, who have already fallen victim to thieves. Names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Hamill, Ben Affleck and Mandy Moore are among the celebrities who have said they had to evacuate their homes.
Many others have watched their homes literally go up in smoke, including Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, James Woods, Eugene Levy, Billy Crystal and John Goodman.
Celebrities including Spencer Pratt, Tom Hanks and Ben Affleck have been forced to evacuate.
Fed-up A-listers have fired back at the thieves, including superstar Julia Roberts, who bluntly told looters "F.U."
The Erin Brockovich star shared a plea for community aid on her Instagram account, writing: "There is so much healing and help needed. We will get through this."
Then she turned more intense, ending her appeal with a special hashtag note: #F.U.Looters.
County officials have pledged a no-tolerance policy toward any and all looters.
L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman slammed: "These crimes are not only appalling but a brazen attack on our community during a time of unimaginable loss and grief."
He then warned: "Let me be clear: If you exploit this tragedy to prey on victims of these deadly fires, we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
The threat of more fires remains.
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The most recent crimes include three separate alleged looting incidents in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas, where thousands of homes have been emptied or destroyed, according to the L.A. Times.
In one case, authorities said a Ring camera caught several men moving through a neighborhood packed with multi-million dollar homes. Two people were charged with looting and residential burglary after they were arrested the next day near a Koreatown apartment.
A third suspect tried to run from cops and allegedly caused a car crash that injured a pedestrian. That man is charged with committing a hit-and-run in addition to the robberies.
Six others were charged with residential burglary in thefts from several Altadena homes in the Eaton fire area last week.
Hochman had one final word of warning for would-be troublemakers: "Do not go ahead and engage in looting, engage in internet scams, engage in price gouging, do not violate evacuation orders. Do not commit any of these crimes in which people are trying to profit from the tragedy"
He expounded: "These looters are preying on people who are at their most vulnerable - people who have already lost so much to these fires.
"The question is not if, but when, they will be caught."
