Alleged Eaton Fire Looters Face Bench Warrant Hearing at Pasadena Courthouse

Two people accused of burglarizing evacuated homes in Altadena during the Eaton Fire are scheduled for a bench warrant hearing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the Pasadena Courthouse, nearly 15 months after the alleged crimes.

Lucia Jilrara Perez, 37, and Rudy Salazar, 20, each face two counts of first-degree residential burglary in Case 25PDCF00020, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Prosecutors allege the pair entered two homes in Altadena on January 8, 2025, at approximately 2:30 p.m. — while mandatory evacuation orders were in effect — and took property. They were apprehended while allegedly attempting to enter a third residence, the district attorney’s office said.

The hearing is set for Department B at the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 E. Walnut St. Both defendants pleaded not guilty at their January 10, 2025, arraignment.

The Eaton Fire ignited the evening of January 7, 2025, in Eaton Canyon and burned 14,117 acres across Altadena and surrounding areas. The wildfire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges against Perez and Salazar on January 13, 2025, as part of a broader crackdown on crimes committed during the wildfires.

“These crimes are appalling and represent a direct attack on our community during a time of unprecedented loss and vulnerability,” Hochman said at a January 13, 2025, press conference, according to the district attorney’s office.

By January 24, 2025, the district attorney’s office had filed wildfire-related charges against 25 individuals, including cases involving looting and arson across fire zones in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, according to a district attorney’s office press release.

First-degree residential burglary is always a felony in California. Each count carries a potential sentence of two, four, or six years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. A conviction also counts as a “strike” under California’s Three Strikes Law.

The charges are allegations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

“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,” Hochman said at the time charges were announced.