Depending on the situation, taking advantage of an opportunity could be a good thing. For example, a person wants to take advantage of a store’s discount to save money or switch to a different car insurance company to benefit from lower premiums. However, when conditions are just right for a burglary, criminals seize the opportunity to commit crimes against someone else’s property. And what better time to rob someone is when a town or state is undergoing an emergency! When Hurricane Katrina threatened southeast Louisiana in 2005, criminals used the catastrophic condition to break into resident’s homes, stealing monetary valuables and other material possessions.
While most criminals succeed in burglarizing homes and department stores, there are laws in place that’s against burglary of all sorts, especially during a natural disaster. Specifically for California, there has been an update to its Penal Code Section 463 regarding burglary.
The updated penal code has been effective as of January 1, 2014. The code states that anyone who violates C.P.C. Sections 459 and 461 will be guilty of the crime of looting. As a result of burglary that’s committed in a county affected by a “state of emergency” or “local emergency” situation, the person will be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for one year. Keep in mind the “state of emergency” or “local emergency” include, but not limited to, “earthquakes, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or man-made disaster” (California Legislative Information).