Hurricane Harvey looters face mandatory jail time, said authorities, after several were arrested and Houston was put on a mandatory midnight to 5 a.m. curfew.
Officials said they would not tolerate thieves hoping to take advantage of the floods by targeting people affected by the massive storm, Fox News reported.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez posted a stern warning about looting and burglaries on Twitter on Tuesday.
“My jail is open and you will be arrested & charged,” he said.
Montgomery County DA, Brett Ligon, said those stealing, looting or burglarizing would face mandatory prison or jail time.
"Leniency and probation will be off the table for these offenses committed during this time," he said.
“We stand behind all our law enforcement agencies and will support their decisions to shut down and immediately arrest suspected criminals during this difficult time for our community."
Speaking on Good Morning America on Monday, Houston Police chief Art Acevedo confirmed that several looters had already been arrested.
"We've made it real clear to our community, we're going to do whatever it takes to protect their homes and their businesses,” he said.
In an effort to prevent looting, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a mandatory curfew on Tuesday running from midnight to 5 a.m.
Acevedo said anyone violating the curfew would be stopped, searched and arrested.
“You cannot drive, nor be in any public place,” he told The Daily Mail.
“We have had problems with armed robberies, with people with guns and firearms.”
Turner told ABC News that residents should also be weary of opening their doors to people impersonating police officers.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.