Oregon Couple Arrested for Impersonating Firefighters at a Palisades Restricted Zone

An Oregon married couple who impersonated firefighters when entering a restricted zone of the Palisades fires in Los Angeles are in custody.

They were in a Fire Truck Bought on Auction

Driving a fire truck bought at an auction with insignia stating they were from the fictitious Roaring River Fire Department in Oregon, the couple attempted to enter the restricted zone on Saturday.

Dustin Nehl (31) and his wife, Jennifer Nehl (44), were arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) after a patrol unit identified a suspicious fire truck attempting to enter a restricted evacuation zone.

The couple aroused suspicion when they arrived at a checkpoint where emergency workers were sorting through the debris of the Palisades fire. Nehl allegedly told National Guard troops that they were volunteer firefighters.

They were equipped with radios and firefighting helmets and wore CAL-Fire t-shirts.

Initially, troopers had no reason to doubt his story because Nehl was wearing a yellow firefighter uniform and was behind the wheel of a fire truck equipped with emergency lights and California license plates.

The couple claimed to be from the Roaring River Fire Department, but inquiries revealed that the name was fictitious and that the fire truck had been bought on auction.

The couple confessed that they had visited the evacuation zone the previous day. They were arrested for impersonating firefighters and for entering a restricted zone. Their fire truck has been impounded.

LASD says Dustin Nehl has a criminal record that includes charges of arson and criminal mischief. He had spent five years in jail for arson. His wife has no known record.

The case will be presented today to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.