By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-22 07:01:30 | Updated at 2025-01-22 09:44:41
2 hours ago
A couple have been arrested for pretending to be firefighters in a phony truck to enter a Palisades evacuation zone.
Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, from Oregon, were flagged as suspicious by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol unit after officials noticed a 'fire truck that did not appear to be legitimate' on January 18.
During questioning, on-scene deputies noted the couple were wearing yellow turnout gear and Cal Fire t-shirts but claimed to be from the 'Roaring River Fire Department' from their home state.
The truck's exterior had been embellished with engine emergency lights, California license plates and an American flag.
However, an investigation revealed that the department name they claimed to be from did not exist and the truck had actually been purchased at an auction.
A law enforcement official told the LA Times that the truck had been 'originally used by a Northern California fire department, decommissioned about 30 years ago and auctioned off.'
The source also revealed that Dustin had posed as a firefighter to get 'free lodging at a local Holiday Inn Express.'
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau later confirmed in a statement that the pair had admitted to being in a Palisades evacuation zone on January 17.
Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, were caught by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol unit pretending to be firefighters in a phony truck to enter a Palisades evacuation zone
They were arrested for impersonating a firefighter and entering an evacuation zone, and the truck was impounded.
While neither of the them are accused of stealing from abandoned homes in the Palisades area, a source told LA Times that deputies found tools in the fire truck that 'could be used by burglars'.
Cops also seized a map showing burn areas and radios tuned to frequencies used by city and county fire departments, the official said.
After the pair's arrest, officials ran Dustin's ID and discovered that he had previously spent five years in prison for arson.
The torcher had plead guilty to setting a series of fires at a golf course, a park and a water facility in Woodburn between 2013 and 2017.
Apart from serving jail time, he was also sentenced to three years post-prison supervision and ordered to pay restitution to the people who had to pay for damages due to his crimes, according to KATU.
'Suspect Dustin Nehl has a criminal history in Oregon for criminal mischief and arson. Neither have a criminal history in California,' LASD said.
The fake fire engine had been embellished with engine emergency lights, California license plates and an American flag
During questioning, on-scene deputies noticed the couple were wearing yellow turnout gear, Cal Fire t-shirts and equipped with helmets and radios as they claimed to be from the 'Roaring River Fire Department' in Oregon
Cops also seized a map showing burn areas and radios tuned to frequencies used by city and county fire departments, the official said
This comes hours after southern Californians were warned of more wildfire devastation as two more wildfires broke following weeks of destruction in Los Angeles.
The Lilac and Pala Fires broke out early on Tuesday morning within an hour of one another in San Diego County, and they had already ravaged nearly 100 acres.
Evacuations for parts of the county have been ordered, while other area residents are urged to pack up their things and leave, according to Cal Fire.
Dangerous winds are making conditions worse, with wind gusts up to 70mph along the coast and up to 100mph in the mountains.
The National Weather Service warned of a 'particularly dangerous situation' in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and the winds.
'The conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start,' Meteorologist Andrew Rorke told the Associated Press.
The causes of the two fires remained unknown.
A red flag warning - which indicates an area is at high risk of fire - has been issued until Tuesday evening in San Diego County.
Firefighters in Los Angeles are still working to contain two massive wildfires - the Palisades and Eaton Fires - which broke out on January 7 and have torn through nearly 40,000 acres in Los Angeles County.
