2 alleged looters captured targeting evacuated California houses

A pair of suspected looters were arrested after they allegedly tried breaking into ritzy Southern California homes that were evacuated due to a recent devastating landslide, authorities said.

Julio Ibanez, 47, and Ashley Valdez, 31 were busted Thursday morning after deputies were alerted to two people trying to burglarize the vacant houses in Rolling Hills Estates south of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said.

Both Ibanez and Valdez are facing charges of residential burglary, the sheriff’s office told The Post. Additional charges are possible.

A landslide struck the community Saturday, destroying several houses and forcing the evacuation of a dozen residences.

The deputies, who were providing security for the empty homes, set up a perimeter as the man and woman tried to flee into the landslide area, the sheriff’s office said.

With the help of drones from Torrance police, deputies were able to take the two into custody, authorities said.

“We are grateful for the assistance our partners provided, as well as pleased we were able to apprehend these suspects,” the sheriff’s office said in a series of tweets. “We are also appalled that there are people who see another person’s misfortune as an opportunity for them to benefit.”

The burglary comes just days after the Rolling Hills Estates City Council voted to declare a local emergency over the massive land movement. The city only has a population of 8,000.

The cause of the slide hasn’t been determined yet.