Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, stated during a Tuesday morning news conference that three of the four persons detained on charges of looting were in the country illegally.
“Three of the four are illegal aliens. These are people that are foreigners, they’re illegally in our country. Not only that, they tried to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” DeSantis said. “I mean, they should be prosecuted, but they need to be sent back to their home country. They should not be here at all.”
DeSantis says 3 out of the 4 people arrested for looting are illegal aliens.
"They're illegally in our country. Not only that, they tried to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster..they need to be sent back to their home country. They should not be here at all." pic.twitter.com/borfCzcXyL
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) October 4, 2022
Fox News stated that Omar Mejia Ortiz, Valerie Celeste Salcedo Mena, Brandon Mauricio Araya, and Steve Eduardo Sanchez Araya were detained by Lee County sheriff’s officers. Ortiz is also charged with petit larceny, whilst the other three are charged with grand larceny.
“Right now, we have four cases of looting, and I’m proud to say they’re behind bars where they belong. Our residents are going to be safe,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, according to Fox News.
“[T]hree of these subjects are here illegally in this country — Robert Mena, Brandon Araya, Stephen Araya — all arrested for stealing bottles on Fort Myers Beach during the hurricane,” Marceno noted. “They were located and arrested. And I’m going to tell I’m not tolerating it again.”
Friday, Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, cautioned potential looters that looting would not be allowed in the “Second Amendment state” of Florida. MSNBC presenter Joy Reid criticized his words and compared him to a segregationist sheriff.
Florida is a law and order state.
Looting and lawlessness will not be tolerated. pic.twitter.com/8Ma9RuSlPq
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 1, 2022