![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/hawaii-wildfires-maui-crime-rate-rockets-with-looters-going-through-houses-in-city/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0_US-FIRE-HAWAII-3.jpg&description=Bar owners in the devastated town of Lāhainā in Hawaii claim looters have been pillaging the village in the night without the oversight of authorities, stealing people's possessions and robbing them at gunpoint As the death toll swiftly rises following the wildfires that ravaged the island of Maui last week, so too does the crime rate in the devastated town of Lāhainā, say locals. The chaos that ensued as rescue workers and residents scrambled to evacuate thousands and locate hundreds of others paved the way for looting and raping, a local bar owner claims. "There's some police presence. There's some small military presence. But at night, people are being robbed at gunpoint," Matt Robb, the co-owner of The Dirty Monkey in Lāhainā, told Business Insider India. "People are raped and pillaged. I mean, they're going through houses," he added. For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US. Robb and his business parter Alen Aivazian said residents are desperate for local leadership, claiming that the authorities already there aren't doing enough to help them. "I don't think our government and our leaders at this point know how to handle this or what to do," he said. Among the most frustrating aspects of their response, he said, was that supply vehicles containing shipments of water, food and first aid items are being rerouted — authorities are reportedly barring access to the areas where help is most needed. "It's just been really interesting to see how, when you have a full truck of a pallet of water or feminine products or whatever, and you're trying to help people — that you're being turned away," Robb said. The butting of heads between locals and government officials has led to violence, too. Some locals rioted, fighting with police when they closed off roads leading into the town. The residents had wanted to claim their belongings or help with search and rescue and aid efforts but were denied access. Robb said: "A lot of){kind=link}
Bar owners in the devastated town of LÄhainÄ in Hawaii claim looters have been pillaging the village in the night without the oversight of authorities, stealing people’s possessions and robbing them at gunpoint
As the death toll swiftly rises following the wildfires that ravaged the island of Maui last week, so too does the crime rate in the devastated town of LÄhainÄ, say locals.
The chaos that ensued as rescue workers and residents scrambled to evacuate thousands and locate hundreds of others paved the way for looting and raping, a local bar owner claims.
“There’s some police presence. There’s some small military presence. But at night, people are being robbed at gunpoint,” Matt Robb, the co-owner of The Dirty Monkey in LÄhainÄ, told Business Insider India.
“People are raped and pillaged. I mean, they’re going through houses,” he added.