Authorities stopped a pair in Oregon from slinking into a Palisades Fire evacuation zone while driving a fire vehicle they bought at auction and wearing fictitious fireman garb. The couple was detained and charged.
According to a news release issued by county district attorney Nathan Hochman on Friday, Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, were charged with posing as firefighters during the wildfires in Los Angeles County. It’s unclear if either has hired legal counsel.
According to a news statement from the sheriff’s department, the couple was arrested on January 18 after a police patrol unit carrying firefighters passed a fire truck that didn’t seem to be authentic.
The fire vehicle tried to enter an evacuation area but was stopped by deputies. According to the sheriff’s department, the Nehls were both carrying radios and were dressed in fireman gear, such as a helmet and Cal Fire T-shirts.
According to reports, the couple claimed to be from the illegitimate Roaring River Fire Department in Oregon. The truck they were in had been bought at auction, authorities discovered. Later, the truck was seized.
The couple claimed to have been in the evacuation area on January 17, the day before they were arrested, according to the sheriff’s office.
Hochman said in a statement that impersonating first responders puts our community’s safety and the health of people who choose to act recklessly in such a way at risk, particularly in an emergency. These kinds of behaviors can have disastrous results and deceive the public into entrusting an unfit individual with duties they are ill-equipped to do.
The couple lost their baby in December, and Dustin Nehl’s mother, Marlene Nehl, told Los Angeles Magazine that she only wanted to help.
Hochman stated that although officials value the desire to assist, it should adhere to the law to prevent interfering with first responders and law police, who put forth a great deal of effort to keep our communities safe during these crises.
The district attorney’s office stated that because Jennifer Nehl had no criminal history, she was released on her own recognizance. Dustin Nehl’s bail was set at $30,000 and he was refused release. He has a criminal history in Oregon for arson and criminal mischief, according to the sheriff’s office.
On February 11, both are scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing. They could spend up to 180 days in county jail if found guilty.