Hearing Date to Be Set for Alleged Eaton Fire Looters

A preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set Tuesday, April 1 at 8:30 a.m. for two defendants charged with looting homes during January’s devastating Eaton Fire in Altadena.

Lucia Jilrara Perez, 36, and Rudy Salazar, 19, face two counts each of first-degree residential burglary. The scheduling hearing will take place in Department H of the Pasadena Courthouse at 300 E. Walnut St.

Prosecutors allege the pair entered two evacuated homes and stole property on Jan. 8, 2025, at approximately 2:30 p.m., while mandatory evacuation orders were in effect due to the wildfire. They were apprehended while allegedly attempting to enter a third residence.

The defendants pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on Jan. 10, 2025, at the Pasadena Courthouse.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has emphasized the severity of crimes committed during emergencies and has vowed to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law. Hochman and law enforcement officials have described looting during emergencies like wildfires as opportunistic crimes that exploit the chaos and vulnerability of evacuated areas for personal gain.

Law enforcement officials have characterized such actions as preying on victims during a time of tragedy,

Salazar’s and Perez’s case are part of a broad crackdown on looting during the wildfires. In total, nine individuals were charged with felony residential burglary for looting incidents in Altadena and Pacific Palisades during the fires.

If convicted, Salazar and Perez face up to six years in state prison for each count of first-degree residential burglary, which are considered felonies under California law.