Illegal Immigrants Steal Fire Victims’ Supplies
Six Mexican illegal immigrants were arrested for stealing food and water from a southern California evacuation center housing victims of the devastating fire that has been proclaimed a natural disaster by the president.
The illegal immigrants took the supplies from a San Diego football stadium where thousands of evacuees have been forced to stay because their homes either burned or are located in areas severely threatened by deadly flames.
San Diego Police responded to a call that half a dozen people had stolen supplies from Qualcomm Stadium, the city-owned facility where the area’s professional football team (San Diego Chargers) plays its home games. Officers caught six people in a van that didn’t speak English and did not have identifications.
Officers called U.S. Border Patrol agents, who arrived at the stadium and made the arrests. The six thieves admitted that they were indeed illegal immigrants from Mexico taking advantage of a devastating situation.
The fires have swept through the much of the state and forced hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate. In San Diego County alone, more than half a million residents have been forced to leave their homes and nearly 1,500 homes have been lost statewide.
Earlier this week President George W. Bush issued an emergency disaster declaration for California to assist overwhelmed state and local authorities in their efforts to save lives and protect public health and safety.