Men Arrested For Break-Ins During Oroville Dam Evacuations

MARYSVILLE (CBS13) - Two men have been arrested for taking advantage of evacuations in wake of the Oroville Dam crisis.

"It's bad enough when the water comes in a wreck stuff, but not somebody coming in," said Beverly Palmer referencing the window thieves broke.

When the evacuation orders hit, just about everyone fled including Beverly Palmer who was forced to leave her wheelchair she depends on.

"We thought it was going to be the end here that the Oroville Dam was going to break," she said.

A relief to hear the dam stayed put, but angry the looters did not.

"Somebody had broken my back door," she said. "Why do people want to come in and steal your stuff when you're just trying to save your life?"

Sadly enough, Beverly wasn't the only home hit.

"We were really worried about it too," said Kira Hull who lives a few blocks away.

Her family had no way out, so they hunkered down and one night heard her neighbor's home broken into.

"It was an evacuation and it was mandatory. Why would you go round to get someone else's belongings when you should try to be leaving," she said angrily.

Not everyone got away with it.

Police arrested Allen Hein for looting a home on J Street. Investigators say he's even wanted for mail fraud.

A second man, Philip Sinclair, pleaded guilty to looting and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Beverly feels grateful to whoever scared off the intruders trying to break into her home. She can't imagine going through this again.

"Hopefully it never happens again," she said.

To make matters worse for these neighbors, police said one of those alleged looters lives just a block away.