Anyone caught looting, stealing during Hurricane Harvey may get MANDATORY jail or prison time: DA

Nueces County District Attorney Mark A. Gonzalez announced on Friday that his office will push for strict punishment against anyone caught looting or stealing during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane that recently struck Texas.

KRIS reports that Gonzalez said he would push for the maximum punishment for “each and every forthcoming case” from the day if his announcement on Friday, for any suspect charged with burglary, theft, robbery, or any related crime. He stated that probation will not be offered by the Nueces County DA’s office, nor will the office agree to any plea deal for probation.

The Nueces County DA’s office is asking people to mindful of all local, state, and federal laws and to “support each other” instead of stealing from each other. Keep in mind that taking advantages of businesses and people rendered vulnerable because of inclement weather is illegal and will not be taken lightly.

“We just want to make sure we send a message that is unequivocal to both the citizens and any potential criminals. We are going to swing for the fences on these cases,” said Assistant DA, Matt Manning.

So far, there’s been unconfirmed reports of looting as Hurricane Harvey started blowing into Corpus Christi, but the Corpus Christi Police Department announced on Twitter on Friday that the reports are rumors at this point and none have been substantiated. However, one looter crept away quietly without being spotted by police. In a snapshot taken by a local resident, a dog named Otis in the nearby city of Sinton looted a big bag of dog food and trotted down wet streets with the bag in his mouth.

This dog is walking around Sinton TX carrying a entire bag of dog food with him. LOL #refugeePSA: Owner is found. He is not a stray he just got out on his street.Dogs name is Otis.

Posted by Tiele Dockens on Saturday, August 26, 2017

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[Feature Photo: AP/ Eric Gay]