A couple in Los Angeles was arrested for attempting to enter an evacuation zone during the Palisades Fire while driving a decommissioned fire truck. The suspects, identified as Dustin and Jennifer Nehl, were dressed in turnout gear and claimed to be from a fictitious fire department. Authorities believe the truck was purchased at auction after being decommissioned in Northern California.
to enter an evacuation zone around the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles with a fire truck that may have been bought after being decommissioned in Northern California. The couple — 31-year-old Dustin Nehl and 44-year-old Jennifer Nehl — were arrested on Saturday by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of impersonating a firefighter and entering an evacuation zone.
Dustin Nehl also has a criminal history in Oregon related to criminal mischief and arson, according to state records. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said neither had a criminal history in California. They were arrested after officers in a Los Angeles Police Department unit patrolling through the Palisades Fire area saw a fire truck that did not seem to be legitimate. LAPD then contacted the county sheriff’s department, who confronted the couple in the fire truck as they tried to enter an evacuation zone. The deputies noticed that the suspects were wearing turnout gear, helmets and radios with Cal Fire t-shirts under the gear, authorities said. The suspects also claimed they were from the “Roaring River Fire Department” in Oregon; a volunteer fire department by that name exists in North Carolina, but not in Oregon. According to the sheriff’s department press release, the decommissioned truck was bought at an auction. The couple admitted they were in the evacuation zone on Friday, the sheriff’s department said. They were then arrested and the truck was impounded. It was not immediately clear Monday what the couple’s intentions were had they been able to enter the evacuation zone freely. Several people have already beenby a Northern California fire department and was decommissioned about 30 years ago before being auctioned off. But it remained unclear Monday which specific once used the truck. Steve Blythe, a Cal Fire assistant chief, said that there are several ways to handle a decommissioned fire truck, depending on if it belonged to the state or a local government agency. When a vehicle reaches the end of its service life, it will be stripped of its equipment and auctioned off., a website that resells used fire equipment, lists several trucks, pumpers and ambulances for prices ranging from $2,600 to nearly $300,000. There is also a replacement program for Cal Fire vehicles, Blythe said; a company called Davis Mobile Equipment provides Cal Fire with the engines and allows them to return used vehicles. Depending on the shelf life of the vehicle, it can be reused as a reserve vehicle or auctioned off. Dustin Nehl previously served five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to several crimes related to a water facility, a golf course and a park in the city of Woodburn, Ore., according to. He was originally suspected of two counts of arson, four counts of possession of a device, four counts of manufacturing a device and one count of mischief, according to Oregon records.Dear Abby: I refuse to apologize for touching my neighbor's laundryMiss Manners: I want no part of the gift grab. What do I tell the host? When VP Kamala Harris comes home: Running for governor seems like a no-brainer, but does she want it?Harriette Cole: Should I cancel the party after what my teen did at school?Asking Eric: It will be a large will. Can I leave out those who don't call me uncle?Photos: Drone images display stunning devastation from Palisades fireWhat is diamond dust? Rare weather phenomenon seen in Lehigh Valley
ARSON CRIMINAL FIRE TRUCK EVACUATION ZONE IMPERSONATION
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