Florida police have arrested dozens of people caught looting during Hurricane Irma over the weekend.
On Sunday, local TV station
WPLG/Local 10 caught a group of looters in Fort Lauderdale taking advantage of the empty streets to steal sneakers from a store.
Footage shows the looters running in and out of a broken window carrying boxes at a Simon’s Sportswear store.
After the looters stole the sneakers, they also allegedly broke into a Cash America pawn shop and a Foot Locker,
WPLG reported.
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Rick Maglione
said that nine individuals were arrested in connection with the looting.
In Miami, another group of suspected looters was also arrested.
An organized group of at least a dozen people were seen at store in Midtown loading up boxes of shoes and clothing into cars,
NBC 6 reported.
The Miami Police Department posted a photo on social media with 10 people in what looks like a detention facility. It was captioned “Thinking about looting? Ask these guys how that (turned) out. #stayindoors.”
A request for more information was not immediately returned.
The Miami-Dade County Police Department said it arrested as many as 28 people for looting during the storm, NBC 6 reported.
Fort Lauderdale police also caught two people they suspect of robbing homes. The department said that two 28-year-old men had been arrested and would each face six counts of burglary for looting six homes.
“#FLPD Can’t say we didn’t warn you...28 YOs Ryan Cook & Max Saintvil each face 6 counts of burglary from overnight #HurricaneIrma” the tweet on Sept. 10 said.
One was shot by police and is in the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, and the other has been arrested.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office
tweeted, “ATTENTION LOOTERS; Every incident will be investigated. Evidence collected will be used to pursue charges after the fact.”
“Any looters who come to Pembroke Pines will be greeted by our officers. Choose wisely and stay home,” the police department of Pembroke Pines, a city in Broward County,
tweeted.
