Convicted arsonist arrested after pulling fake firetruck up to LA fire: LACSO

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

AUTHORITIES IN LOS ANGELES ARE SHARING DETAILS ABOUT A STRANGE INCIDENT WHILE FIGHTING WILDFIRES.

SAYING THEY HAD TO ARREST A COUPLE WHO WERE IMPERSONATING FIREFIGHTERS.

THE PAIR FROM OREGON TRIED TO ENTER AN EVACUATION ZONE WITH A FAKE FIRETRUCK – EVEN SPORTING FAKE GEAR WHEN THEY WERE STOPPED NEAR THE PALISDES FIRES.

THE L-A COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS 31-YEAR-OLD DUSTIN NEHL, A CONVICTED ARSONIST, AND HIS WIFE 44-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER NEHL ARE CHARGED WITH IMPERSONATING FIREFIGHTERS AND ENTERING AN EVACUATION ZONE OVER THE WEEKEND.

AN L-A-P-D PATROL UNIT DRIVING NEAR THE PALISADES FIRE SPOTTED THE PHONY FIRETRUCK, WHICH THEY SAID WAS PURCHASED AT AN AUCTION AND EMBLAZONED WITH THE NAME OF A FICTITIOUS FIRE DEPARTMENT.

POLICE IMPOUNDED THE FIRETRUCK AND SAY THE COUPLE CLAIMED TO BE FROM THE NONEXISTENT “ROARING RIVER FIRE DEPARTMENT” IN OREGON.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY ALSO CONFISCATED THE PAIR’S TURNOUT GEAR, HELMETS AND RADIOS.

POLICE HAVE YET TO RELEASE A MOTIVE FOR THE CRIME.

THE HUSBAND ARRESTED IN THE INCIDENT WAS SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON IN 2017 FOR AN ARSON-SPREE IN THE CITY OF WOODBURN, OREGON, TARGETING MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN THE TOWN.

HIS FIVE-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE WAS FOLLOWED BY THREE-YEARS OF SUPERVISION.

IT’S UNKNOWN IF HE WAS STILL UNDER SUPERVISION AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE’S BEEN CAUGHT IMPERSONATING A FIREFIGHTER NEAR THE LOS ANGELES FIRES.

AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ARRESTED A 34-YEAR-OLD MAN EARLIER THIS MONTH WEARING A FIREFIGHTER’S UNIFORM AND CARRYING A RADIO AS HE LOOTED ITEMS WITHIN AN EVACUATION ZONE.

LOOTING HAS BECOME A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR AUTHORITIES ALREADY TRYING TO GET THESE HISTORIC WILDFIRES UNDER CONTROL.

DOZENS OF PEOPLE HAVE REPORTEDLY BEEN ARRESTED FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN EVACUATION ZONES SINCE THE FIRES ERUPTED.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.