SANTA MONICA : City Seeks Probe of Alleged Quake Thefts by Firefighters

Santa Monica on Friday asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to investigate allegations that as many as 20 Santa Monica firefighters took belongings left by tenants of the earthquake-damaged Sea Castle apartments.

City Manager John Jalili said the request was prompted by allegations that firefighters took furniture, a television set and other property from the red-tagged Sea Castle, which was sealed off after suffering severe damage in the Jan. 17 quake.

During a two-week period in September, the city allowed each Sea Castle tenant a four-hour period to retrieve belongings, under the supervision of the Fire Department. The department has been conducting an internal investigation of the matter since Oct. 14.

“In a situation like this it is always better to have a totally independent agency investigate,” Jalili said Friday. He declined to comment on when the investigation will begin.