Altadena Fire Victims Targeted: DA, Supervisor to Announce Contractor Felony Charges

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger will hold a joint news conference today to announce criminal charges against allegedly unlicensed contractors accused of contacting victims of the Eaton Fire.

The announcement comes nearly a year after the January blaze. Officials say the felony charges involve contractors who contacted survivors, particularly elderly residents and those with insurance payouts.

The suspects are charged on a specific law making it a felony to contract without a license at a property damaged by a natural disaster for which a state of emergency is declared, under CA Bus & Prof Code § 7028.16.

Hochman, elected in November 2024, has positioned himself as a prosecutor focused on fraud and exploitation. He previously charged nine individuals with looting and arson in Altadena during the fire’s early evacuation phase and announced a broader crackdown on wildfire-related crimes.

“My Office unequivocally stands with survivors, not greedy opportunists who profit from others’ pain,” Hochman said in earlier remarks.

Barger, who represents Altadena on the Board of Supervisors, has spearheaded legislative relief and extended the Eaton Fire Disaster Interim Ordinance through August 22, 2026, to streamline rebuilding.

“Altadena residents have already endured unimaginable loss and they shouldn’t have to fight their own insurance company to recover,” she said in a November statement.

The Eaton Fire burned 14,117 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains, forcing evacuations of over 50,000 residents.

Local organizations including Bet Tzedek, a nonprofit legal aid group, and the Altadena Town Council have been assisting survivors with contractor disputes and recovery efforts.