Tennessee authorities arrested eight migrant workers for looting in a flood-ravaged area of the state following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton announced on Monday that deputies apprehended the individuals on Saturday in the heavily impacted 107 area.
The suspects have been identified as Albin Nahun Vega-Rapalo, 24, David Bairon Rapalo-Rapalo, 37, Kevin Noe Martinez-Lopez, 25, Marvin Hernandez-Martinez, 43, and Dayln Gabriel Guillen Guillen, 37.
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These five men have been charged with aggravated burglary for allegedly looting occupied residential homes.
Three additional individuals—Jesus Leodan Garcia-Peneda, 51, Josue Berardo Ortis-Valdez, 30, and Ersy Leonel Ortis-Valdez, 33—are facing burglary charges for allegedly breaking into unoccupied structures, many of which were severely damaged by the flooding.
All eight men were taken into custody and are currently held at the Washington County Detention Center on $20,000 bond each.
They were scheduled to appear in court on Monday. According to a sheriff’s office spokesperson, the men were legally in the United States on work visas, but their legal status is expected to change due to the criminal charges.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that the Washington County deputies remain vigilant and will continue patrolling the region during the ongoing recovery efforts, especially in flood-affected areas.
“We have been through way too much for this kind of behavior,” the sheriff’s office spokeswoman stated. She added that after dark, authorities would continue to stop anyone found in the flood zones, regardless of appearance.
The arrests come as Tennessee continues to recover from the heavy rains and widespread flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene, which has left a trail of destruction across several Southeastern states.
Eastern Tennessee was particularly hard hit, with numerous homes and structures left in ruins. Governor Bill Lee recently visited the region to survey the damage.
Warning: disturbing images.
This is the ongoing cleanup effort around the Unicoi Hospital in Erwin, TN. You may recall, more than 50 people were rescued from the roof here. A field of debris surrounds the hospital, containing caskets that are believed to be from a cemetery up… pic.twitter.com/Dv5gn1UGQn
— Will Nunley (@willnunley) October 1, 2024
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene has claimed at least 133 lives across six states, stretching from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia.
The death toll is expected to rise as emergency workers reach areas that were previously inaccessible due to collapsed roads, damaged infrastructure, and severe flooding.
During a briefing on Monday, White House Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall reported that as many as 600 people remained unaccounted for as of Monday afternoon, and some may have perished in the storm.
Efforts to locate survivors and provide relief are ongoing as the full scope of the disaster becomes clearer.
In the midst of this crisis, authorities continue to focus on maintaining order in affected areas, ensuring that looting and other criminal activities do not hinder the recovery process.
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