A group of migrant workers face accusations of looting properties in a flood-ravaged area of Tennessee following the destruction of Hurricane Helene.
Washington County authorities captured eight men who allegedly looted in one of the county’s flood zones.
BREAKING REPORT: 8 Migrant Workers CHARGED WITH LOOTING in Tennessee After Hurricane Helene Flooding
Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene on Saturday, a group of migrant workers is accused of looting in a flood-affected area of Tennessee, reports a local sheriff's… pic.twitter.com/DlfDn9mpSn
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) September 30, 2024
From the New York Post:
Three alleged perps — Jesus Leodan Garcia-Peneda, 51, Josue Berardo Ortis-Valdez, 30, and Ersy Leonel Ortis-Valdez, 33 — were charged with burglary.
The other five men — 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 — were charged with aggravated burglary for breaking into occupied structures, the sheriff’s office said.
The defendants are migrant workers who are in the country legally on work visas, a sheriff’s spokesperson told The Post Monday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately have information on the men Monday evening.
The alleged looters were being held on $20,000 bonds and expected to appear in court Monday.
It’s unknown if the looting happened in residential homes or businesses.
WATCH:
JUST IN: The 8 illegal immigrants who were caught robbing hurricane victims illegally entered the country as "gotaways" according to @AliBradleyTV.
The illegals were caught looting in Eastern Tennessee as locals were fighting for their lives.
Albin Nahun Vega-Rapalo, 24; David… pic.twitter.com/LY3BqZ13G8
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 30, 2024
Per Daily Mail:
Tennessee was among a number of hard hit states by Helene, which dumped trillions of gallons of water on the South and the Midwest.
One of the most dramatic scenes played out at the Unicoi County Hospital, where the overflowing Nolichucky River forced more than fifty patients and care workers to seek refuge on the roof.
Eventually everyone was rescued, with a helicopter landing on the roof and boats arriving to ferry some patients away.
A man in Tennessee posted a terrifying first hand view of what it was like on the ground when the Nolichucky River burst past the dam.
Jeffrey Fuller live-streamed the hurricane tearing through his property on Facebook.
The video showed waist-high waters barreling through the home, with Fuller shouting over the rushing current that the storm ‘came in quick… we’re going into the attic.’
Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend Region, might have dissipated, but the devastation it has caused will be long lasting.
So far, 128 people have died across six states, CNN reported.