'Lowest point': First their houses slid off the hill, then suspected burglars came
'Lowest point': First their houses slid off the hill, then suspected burglars came
Grace TooheyTwo people were arrested Thursday
morningin Rolling Hills Estates on suspicion of attempting to burglarize homes that were evacuated in the major landslide that struck earlier this week, according to the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department.
A neighbor saw the suspected burglars early Thursday and notified authorities,who attempted to surround the pair,
according to a statement from the city of Rolling Hills Estates. Deputies said the suspectsthen tried to escape into the
activelandslide area which has remained closed to the public amid concerns about its stability, according to tweets from the sheriff's Lomita station.
With assistance from
aerial video fromTorrance police drone operators, deputies were able to detain the two people. Their identities were not immediately released.
two homes that had been red-tagged Saturday homes were burglarized, but the stolen property was recovered, officials said.
It wasn't clear if the homes were further damaged in the break-ins.after a neighbor reported the suspicious activity to authorities. "We've already gone through all this garbage, and then on top of that " Randy Troy trailed off, shaking his head. "This happens with every disaster. ... People are down, and you're taking advantage of somebody at their lowest point in life. ... What a scumbag." Troy's home on Peartree Lane wasn't targeted in the burglary, he said, probably but likely because it is among the worst most damaged in the landslide now down the hillside, with parts of its roof collapsed and walls caved in. "It's unbelievable that, on top of everything else, somebody had to have their home ransacked," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. "It's unfortunate that people would take advantage of a situation like this." She said she requested that the Sheriff's Department which has been monitoring the street since the landslide increase its their patrols. "We are also appalled that there are people who see another persons misfortune as an opportunity for them to benefit," the Sheriff's Department wrote.Since Saturday, 17 homes on Peartree Lane have been evacuated,
with 12On Saturday, 12 were red-tagged,deemed unsafe to enter because of
due tothe landslide
, or red-tagged. and f Five others were evacuated Tuesday after a sewer line broke because of the shifting ground.
Although city officials have said the , Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Thursday that the ground had continued to move. "The movement has not stopped," Marrone said Thursday evening. "We don't know how long it's going to take before that movement stops." The cause of the clear-day landslide hasn't been determined. No geologist has been to the site yet, but Hahn said one should be coming out next week to begin analysis. Officials said Thursday there had been no new "significant land movements" since Wednesday, but the land still hasn't been tested for continued safety issues. On Tuesday, officials reported the landslidehad slowed after days of ongoing movement
.Officials also said Thursday that a geological engineering firm should be on site to begin to assess the situation "within the next several days."The homeowners association, which is responsible for hiring the
geologicalexperts, has started working with
a specificfirm, city
officialssaid.
The Sheriff's Department has been providing security at Peartree Lane since Saturday, closing the street to the public Wednesday. Many of the families who lost their homes and land in the slide have expressed appreciation for local leaders' continued focus; support has included financial assistance for temporary housing. Hahn said she was hoping the state would also declare the site an emergency, though that decision is under review. "There's really good people really trying to help us," Troy, 60, said. He said he was trying to focus on the positive but that said understanding why this had happened, and what it means for the future, was also weighing on him. "We need answers," Troy said. "But you know, you got to have a little bit of patience, right?" In the meantime, Troy said he wanted people to understand that his street of mostly townhouses and multi-unit homes was not some enclave for the wealthy. "All these folks are working-class people. We work hard every day," Troy said. "This isn't just like, 'Oh, well, this investment is gone. Let me go to the next one.' This is your life, it's your life savings."And then everything you've collected for your entire life is in that home, and we had literally 20 minutes to get out," he said. "It's just devastating."
Troy said he and his wife were able to pack up some of their family photos and cherished items, but they couldn't find their wedding album in time. And Troy a huge L.A. sports fan ran out of time to grab his favorite memorabilia, including signed balls and trophies. He's hopeful it's not all crushed and may one day be retrievable. Marrone said that when the geologists give gave the all-clear, residents will receive help accessing they would help residents access some of their belongings. "We have this beautiful mirror from [when] we helped our friend, when she moved to Israel, and it's like a one-of-a-kind thing," Troy said. "And I'm sure that that's smashed. I mean, there's so many. ... It's like every day I think of a new thing."Categories
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