Despite viral claims, looting is still illegal in California, with strict penalties in place for offenders.
Governor Gavin Newsom made it clear that there’s zero tolerance for looting, especially with wildfires hitting the area hard. He even approved sending in the National Guard to help law enforcement keep things in check.
But then, a post on X went viral, claiming that Newsom and the Democrats had actually made looting legal. This post got over 30 million views, and even Elon Musk jumped in to share it.
The reality? No, they didn’t decriminalize looting. It’s still illegal, and people are facing charges for it. California law defines looting as theft that happens during emergencies, and it’s been on the books for decades.
If someone gets caught looting, they could face serious consequences. Depending on what they steal, it could be a misdemeanor or a felony. Newsom even responded to the false claims, urging people to stop spreading lies about looting being legal.
Some of the confusion might come from Proposition 47, which changed some laws around petty theft, but it doesn’t touch looting. So, if you’re thinking about taking advantage of a disaster, think again. The law is still very much in place, and bad actors will be dealt with.
