(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Law enforcement officials in Pinellas County, Florida, announced Thursday that over 90 percent of the looting and robberies following hurricanes Helene and Milton were committed by foreign nationals.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated in a press conference that 45 individuals were charged with looting-related crimes between Oct. 2 and Oct. 23, with at least 41 of those arrested not U.S. citizens.
Gualtieri stated that the individuals’ nationalities included Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, and other countries. According to the Tampa Bay Times, only two of the 45 are from Pinellas County.
“We’ve never seen anything of this magnitude before, we’ve never seen this influx of people from out of the area that are clearly just here to steal and to pilfer and to do bad things and to target these vulnerable people,” Gualtieri affirmed.
The individuals face a total of 68 charges, including armed robbery, burglary, loitering, prowling, grand theft, vandalism and trespass.
“They’re going into people’s homes, they’re taking stuff, they’re rummaging through their things,” Gualtieri added. “In one case, it was an armed robbery where they went in and stole from them forcibly.”
Law enforcement officials said they interviewed nearly 200 individuals suspected of crimes but could not issue arrest warrants due to lack of probable cause, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Investigators also arrested 62 individuals offering contracting work without proper licenses. The unlicensed services, including electrical, roofing and plumbing, cost Floridians an estimated $250,000 in 75 projects.
”It‘s maddening,” Gualtieri continued. “This is the epitome of people trying to exploit others when they’re down and when they’re out and when they’re trying to rebuild and they’ve got nothing.”
PRESS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS LOOTING AND UNLICENSED CONTRACTING ARRESTS: https://t.co/WIC2H9Aqbv pic.twitter.com/c76a3Rex9R
— Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (@SheriffPinellas) October 24, 2024
