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Katryn Barger is Interviewed about California's Fires; Rob Bonta is Interviewed about Looting in Evacuation Areas; Sue Kohl is Interviewed about the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired January 13, 2025 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Invitation, Mr. President-elect, you will join us in supporting our citizenry and thanking our heroic first responders who have risked their own lives to save others. We would also ask you, as our president, to stand with the people of Los Angeles County as we set our course to rebuild. Your presence would be deeply felt and appreciated."

And Kathryn Barger joins us now.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Why did you send this letter?

KATHRYN BARGER (R), LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR: Well, we have a president that's taking over January 20th, and it's important for us to continue the momentum we have right now. I've got constituents that are grieving, that are - have lost everything. And I, as an elected official and as a leader, need to make sure that the politics of today do not - do not cloud their ability to rebuild.

BERMAN: How have the politics of today impacted the discussion around these fires the last week?

BARGER: Quite frankly, it hasn't. And I want to make sure it doesn't. And that's why I sent the letter to the incoming president. For me, it's not about party. My - my constituents, I went to a meeting last night, a public meeting with - with the people that have lost their homes. They don't care whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, they just want people to do their job. We all got elected to represent and to lead from both the county, the state and the federal. And that is exactly what I plan to do. And I plan to work with this administration, with this president, just like I did with the current administration that - that is leaving.

BERMAN: Has the president-elect responded to your letter?

BARGER: We've gotten a positive response, not directly from President Trump, but I'm confident, given the fact that - that the very people that he spoke to when he was on the campaign trail, I can speak for Altadena, that is exactly who he was talking to. This is a community that has every range of socioeconomic

breadwinners. They - they are - they represent exactly who he was talking about.

BERMAN: You say you represent Altadena. I should have asked you right off the top, how - how are you doing and your constituents? There's been so much suffering there.

BARGER: Yes, thank you for asking. I mean, I live very, very close to the area it impacted. And - and I've been up there. And I - I've got at least 15 friends, more probably, that have lost everything. And it's - it's devastating.

I went to the convention center in Pasadena yesterday, and I ran into people that I didn't even know lived up in Altadena that have lost everything. And we're talking CEOs. We're talking gardeners. We're talking - I mean it's across - it's devastating. And what's even scarier, some of them didn't have insurance.

I met a man who lost his job because the business that he worked at is gone. And then he lost his home and he has no insurance. So, we have a lot of work to do with this administration. And I'm confident that President Trump is going to work with us because I want to put together low interest loans because, for these people that don't have insurance, they're not going to be able to go to the bank and get - get a loan at the interest rates being charged. We need to think outside the box, and we need to recognize that this truly - these people are the fabric of America.

And Altadena is a reflection of really all that is good because whether you're black, white, Hispanic, it doesn't matter, they all work together and it's one community that recognizes that - that - that we're all in this together.

BERMAN: You know, I think it does go without saying, there have been some political differences between former president, President-elect Trump, and the California governor, Gavin Newsom, in the past, even though there has been disaster relief to California at times. There was a suggestion, oh, maybe because California's a blue state that he wouldn't give it as quickly or as easily. Any concerns on that front?

BARGER: No. I - you know, for me, I'm staying focused. I'm going to speak for my constituents. And I'm not going to let the politics of the name calling get in - get in my way. I'm confident - I'm confident, based on people I've talked to that are very, very connected to the administration coming in, that this president is going to recognize that the people that he was elected to represent need him, and he's going to stand tall and he's going to stand up for us.

BERMAN: And in terms of the governor's response, how has that been?

BARGER: You know, what I've said is, I mean, I - I don't think you disclosed this, but I'm the only Republican on the Board of Supervisors. And I don't care whether you're a Republican or a Democrat either. I want people to do their job. I want people to do what they were elected to do, just what I'm doing. And - and, you know, I work with the governor.

[09:35:02]

I work with the mayor of the city of LA. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing my job.

BERMAN: Kathryn Barger, from the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Best to you and best to your constituents.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right ahead, crews and resources are being put in place ahead of deteriorating weather conditions. We are going to take you back to California as more dangerous winds are starting to pick up there.

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[09:40:10]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: As crews work around the clock to contain the deadly and destructive wildfires in southern California, police are also cracking down on criminals who have quickly moved in. On Sunday, the LAPD says seven people were arrested for looting, including two people who were allegedly posing as firefighters to get into restricted areas. Those arrests come as police are also warning wildfire victims of scams that are already popping up. Scammers offering fake jobs or fraudulent donation sites to take advantage of people in these times of need.

Joining me right now is California's attorney general, Rob Bonta.

Attorney General, thank you so much for coming in.

You kind of sounded the alarm about these scams, especially when, look, you know, the looting that we saw. What types of looting crimes are you seeing? How bad is this?

ROB BONTA (D), CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I was just down in Los Angeles two days ago, and I did a survey of the damage in Altadena, went to an evacuation site, went to the command center at the Rose Bowl, and it's absolutely devastating what people have suffered here. The damage, the destruction, the devastation. And it's completely disgusting, despicable and sick to take advantage of people in this moment when they need support and services and resources, where they are facing and confronting perhaps the worst tragedy they've ever faced in their lives.

And so we're seeing people who are posing as firefighters to get into disaster areas, to steal from the victims who have been evacuated and - and displaced. There are charges for - this is essentially - looting is essentially burglary in a designated disaster area. And I was with the sheriff and the police chief of L.A. two days ago in L.A. on the ground, and we will be cracking down on any looting that we see. We're seeing some. There are arrests. The sheriff has made arrests. And he is keeping people in custody as appropriately so.

So, this is not the time to revictimize the victim or exploit those who are suffering as they are reeling and trying to recover and rebuild from a tragedy. It's time to lift people up. That's who we are as California - Californians. We should be supporting each other, not hurting each other.

BOLDUAN: You also warned this weekend about scammers trying to move - move in and target people as well, as well as some instances of price gouging. You were warning against price gouging.

What kinds of scams are you seeing and what can people do to protect themselves, to make sure that they're not taken advantage of?

BONTA: Again, unfortunately, at times like this, in tragedies, you see the - in the worst of times you see the best in people often, but you also see folks who are taking advantage of others. And so that comes in many forms. One is price gouging. We have price gouging laws in the state of California. Penal code 396. It prevents prices after the declaration of emergency to be raised by more than 10 percent from the prices before the declaration of emergency.

And so, we are getting many reports that housing and hotels are - that those prices are being raised more than 10 percent. This applies to all sort of essential supplies, medical supplies, gas, water, food, transportation, batteries. And so, if you see any prices that seem to be raised by more than 10 percent, please report it to us at oag.ca.gov/report. We're also seeing scams and frauds. When people are in need and vulnerable, they're also vulnerable to those seeking to take advantage of them. We're seeing contractor frauds, where folks say, I can help you rebuild and I can help you rebuild fast. And if you give me a significant down payment, upfront payment, I can take care of you. And they take the down payment, the upfront payment, and never perform the work. We're seeing insurance adjuster scams where personal identifying information is taken, where - I've seen folks who are asking for fees to connect victims with free government services. You don't need to pay anyone. They're free. We're seeing also folks who are asking for upfront payments to help find others - victims' housing. So, there's a whole variety.

And then - and then there's also those scams and frauds where they try to take advantage of peoples good hearts, who want to donate. And so we see charity scams where fake charities are created to steal money from those who are being generous and want to help the victims. Even deep fakes, where people say, hey, I'm - I'm your nephew, I'm your - your relative. I need money wired to me immediately. So, there's a number of different forms.

Be very wary of upfront requests for payment. That is a huge red flag. And then you can also check licenses and certifications of those who are seeking to work with you, or for charities.

[09:45:00]

You can go to our website at oag.ca.gov to confirm that it is a real charitable organization in good standing in the state of California. BOLDUAN: Good information to have for sure.

We are seeing some reporting from "The L.A. Times," officials are now investigating at an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon as a possible like origin site of the Eaton Fire. Investigators are just beginning to work to identify what started the larger Palisades Fire. I say that because I'm curious, do you think this is going to become a criminal matter? Are these investigations that you think will eventually land on your desk?

BONTA: I don't know yet. And, you know, important to uncover all the facts, be clear and sure and certain about the root causes, not to jump to any conclusions, but we need to be open to any possibilities wherever the facts lead. There are some indications that arson is a possibility, that we have to be open to that. That's a crime in California, punishable by up to nine years in state prison. It's very serious. It can also be accompanied by other criminal charges, including homicide. If someone has died in the fire that was caused by arson, burglaries can be accompanied as well.

So, these are very serious charges and allegations, but we need to be patient. We need to make sure we do a thorough vetting of all the facts and see where they lead.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

Attorney General, thank you very much for coming on. We appreciate your time.

And to help those impacted by these devastating wildfires, you can visit cnn.com/impact for much more information of organizations that are thoroughly vetted.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, Los Angeles homeowners forced to evacuate are frustrated that they are not being allowed back into their neighborhoods to see the damage for themselves, though there is a lot of toxic waste that is sitting there. We have more on the efforts to begin to try and pick up the pieces as the disaster continues.

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[09:51:28]

BERMAN: This morning, California fire officials are urging patience as residents are eager to return to see what is left of their homes.

With me now is Sue Kohl, a longtime president - resident, I should say, and president of the Pacific Palisades Community Council.

Sue, I just want to ask you how you're doing this morning.

SUE KOHL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's up and down every hour, but I'm trying to keep a very positive attitude. So, I guess I'd say I'm doing fine. BERMAN: Thirty years -

KOHL: Everybody's healthy.

BERMAN: Thirty years you've lived in the Palisades.

KOHL: Yes.

BERMAN: You know, what's it been like for you to see the devastation?

KOHL: Well, it's been, for me and for everyone else, absolutely devastating. I mean most people know the status of their homes by now, but a lot of people really don't know. And I've been to a couple different services this week where it was an opportunity for people to just come together, not in the Palisades, obviously, because there's really nowhere to go there, but, you know, for everyone who's lost their home, I mean, people like me lost everything. Not only the home, but every single thing in it. So, it's - it's confusing sometimes during the day because you think about, oh, I've got to get this or I got to do this. Oh, yes, no, I don't have that anymore, I can't get that, you know?

It's very disconcerting, but I think we're all going to get through it. I mean, these services have been a tremendous opportunity for people to pray together, talk together, and mainly I think what everybody needs desperately and wants desperately is just the opportunity to be together. There's a lot of email chains and text chains, but actually getting together and seeing each other in person and being able to hug and cry together is very helpful to so many people who've lost everything.

BERMAN: You said you lost everything.

KOHL: Yes.

BERMAN: How hard is it to -

KOHL: I mean -

BERMAN: How hard is it to figure out what you do next?

KOHL: Well, you know, the first things are to - our first priority was trying to find a place to live. So, we're in two different temporary places for the first two weeks. And then this angel family, long-time friends of our family, like from many, many years ago, just called us and said that they have a little house that they'd like - that they were going to run out and they would put us at the top of the list if we wanted it.

So, I mean, we - we grabbed it so fast. So, at least we have an address. All of my friends are getting P.O. boxes, but I actually have a street address, which is, you know, no one thinks much about that, but I'm very excited to have an address. A place where I know I can at least call home for a year. It's a huge comfort.

BERMAN: Think about that, those words, I have an address. At least I have an address. I can't imagine it's the type of thing you ever thought you'd be saying just a few weeks ago.

KOHL: Yes.

BERMAN: We - introducing you we talked about how officials are calling for patience from people who live in that community. How hard is it to find that patience?

KOHL: Yes. OK. You know, for a couple days they were letting people line up in their cars, and the LAPD officers were escorting people into the Palisades. A lot of people wanted a picture of their property because they need that to file insurance claims.

[09:55:03]

People just wanted to see what was left of their house, see if they could maybe, you know, wear gloves and a mask and find anything in the rubble. But yesterday, the chief of police stopped all escorted visits. Not so much because it's toxic up there, which it is, but because of looters.

I have a very good friend who waited in line for 11 hours in a car, waiting to get up, and got up to his house and found his house standing but damaged but having been looted. And the interview that you had before me was talking about that. In these situations, you do find the very best of humanity reaching out, wanting to help, donating. I mean I'm wearing donated clothes, you know. But you find criminals, you find people that will just take advantage. And I think that's why the escorts have stopped temporarily.

BERMAN: Yes.

KOHL: They've got National Guard and LAPD, but it's just too hard.

BERMAN: Well, let's hope there's more of the best and so much less of the worst.

KOHL: Yes.

BERMAN: Sue Kohl, we're thinking about you. We're glad you are OK.

KOHL: Thank you.

BERMAN: And the days, they'll get better. Thank you.

KOHL: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

Ah, another rough week begins.

SIDNER: The address is going to sit with me.

BERMAN: At least I have an address.

SIDNER: It's excited to have an address. BOLDUAN: It's just - it's down to that, right?

Thank you so much for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "CNN NEWSROOM," up next.

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