Five men are being charged with two counts of burglary during a state of emergency and two counts of grand theft of a fire extinguisher. (Lee County Sheriff's Office)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - A sheriff in Florida announced the arrest of seven men who were allegedly caught looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced that the seven men were arrested on Wednesday after allegedly being seen looting from various locations.
Eli Francisco Acevedo Marin, 48; Eli Yadiel Acevedo Ayala, 19; Luis Enrique Cedeno Morales, 57; Axel Martinez Quiles, 18; and Benigno Ortiz Diaz, 40, were arrested near a Wyndham Garden Hotel in Fort Myers Beach.
The sheriff's office said that the group's work van was located and "various items from recent thefts and several fire extinguishers stolen from the hotel and a nearby condo" were found inside.
The five men are being charged with two counts of burglary during a state of emergency and two counts of grand theft of a fire extinguisher.
Another two people, Al King Chapman, 33 and Rodney Rogers, 59, were also arrested after they allegedly stole construction materials from a Hampton Inn parking lot in Fort Myers Beach. The men are being charged with grand theft.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said people who "prey on others directly impacted by Hurricane Ian are the lowest form of scum." (Lee County Sheriff's Office)
Marceno said that anyone who attempts to take advantage of others who were impacted by Hurricane Ian are "scum."
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said two men were arrested for allegedly stealing construction equipment. (Lee County Sheriff's Office)
"People who prey on others directly impacted by Hurricane Ian are the lowest form of scum," Marceno said. "There will absolutely be law and order in Lee County, and those who think they will commit crime are gravely mistaken."
Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 storm, and just 2 mph shy of a Category 5. Over 100 people have died as a result of the storm, according to Fox Weather.
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