Men accused of stealing from fire victims

Two men are accused of stealing from a burned-out home in Pateros, a town devastated by wildfire.
 
Heriberto Nieves-Pelcastre and Francisco Meza-Bastidas last Tuesday were seen going through a home on Ives Street in Pateros, where Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers says they allegedlytook coins and metal from the rubble.
 
The men were arrested and booked with criminal trespass and theft level 3, Rogers says.
 
Rogers says he has heard of people concerned about looting, and he says with the added presence of the Washington National Guard it will be easier to maintain a law enforcement presence in burned-out areas that span the county.
 
"Just having them out there has been a big plus," said Rogers of the National Guard.

KIRO