Moody tells local state attorneys to make sure Idalia looters ‘locked up’ in pretrial detention

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Attorney General Ashley Moody sent a letter to state attorneys from areas affected by Hurricane Idalia, asking them to seek pretrial detention to the “fullest extent possible” for defendants who commit crimes during a state of emergency.

“Looters must be locked up in pretrial detention for as long as possible to ensure they do not continue to wreak havoc on displaced Floridians or pull vital resources from ongoing recovery efforts,” Moody said.

Moody warned “would-be looters” and other criminals looking to take advantage of people who are vulnerable in the wake of the hurricane.

Moody outlined Florida law in her letter to state attorneys, requiring that no defendant charged with a theft crime in an area under a declared state of emergency be released prior to a first appearance hearing.

“I have been in contact with the state attorneys in the hardest hit areas and have asked them to seek pretrial detention to the fullest extent possible for looters looking to take advantage of Floridians during their greatest time of need.”

Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a strong Category 3 storm Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach.

Moody said she heard from a sheriff that there have been individuals engaged in burglary and theft in evacuation zones. 

“These brazen and unscrupulous criminals are taking advantage of our citizens at one of the most feared and dangerous times of their lives,” Moody said. “They should not be allowed the opportunity to be released during the emergency, or after during any recovery, so they may continue to use this opportunity to victimize others.”

After Idalia made landfall, Gov. Ron DeSantis said there are reports of people trying to loot in the town of Steinhatchee and said he told his administration’s personnel, “You protect people’s property, and we are not gonna tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster.”

“I mean, it’s just ridiculous that you would try to do something like that on the heels of an almost Category 4 hurricane hitting this community,” DeSantis said.

The governor warned potential looters who may take advantage of people during the storm of advocates of the Second Amendment, repeating the moniker, “You loot, we shoot.”

“You got a lot of advocates and proponents of the Second Amendment and I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters and I would say it’s probably here, ‘you loot, we shoot,’” he said. “You never know what’s behind that door.”

Moody issued tips for Floridians affected by the hurricane to avoid falling victim to storm-related scams.

The attorney general reminded Floridians that Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline remains open, which she activated for extreme price increases on essential items and services for use during the hurricane.

According to Moody’s office, during a storm-related declared state of emergency, Florida law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, such as equipment, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, ice, lumber and water needed as a direct result of the event.

Moody urged anyone who suspects price gouging to report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by using the No Scam app, visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM