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Florida sheriff issues warning to looters: You will be 'carried out'

Tropical Weather
Posted at 1:57 PM, Oct 03, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-03 14:00:51-04

As Florida begins to recover from Hurricane Ian, people are being warned about looting.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno appeared to threaten to use force on suspected looters.

"They might be able to walk into someone's home, they might, but they will, they will be carried out," he said. "I ain't playing games."

It's unclear whether looting has become a pervasive problem in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

However, it's clear officials want to discourage the criminal act as many homes and businesses remain vulnerable.

"Florida will not tolerate looters taking advantage of #HurricaneIan to prey on vulnerable Floridians," said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

In the days immediately following Hurricane Ian, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also warned looters that they could be shot.

"I would not want want to chance that if I were you, given that we are a Second Amendment state," DeSantis said.