An Oregon woman who was arrested and charged alongside her husband for allegedly impersonating firefighters near the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in January may see her charges dismissed after she entered diversion for a mental health disorder.
Jennifer Nehl, 45, and her husband, Dustin Nehl, 32, were arrested Jan. 18 after a Los Angeles Police patrol officer saw them in a fire truck that did not appear to be legitimate as they were trying to enter an evacuation zone, police said.
The pair claimed to be from the “Roaring River Fire Department” in Oregon. In a November 2024 Facebook post, the fire truck was identified by the husband as privately-owned and operated. Roaring River is a tributary of Crabtree Creek in Linn County and the Roaring River Wilderness is in the Mount Hood National Forest. The couple lives in Scio, according to their Facebook pages.
They were wearing CAL-Fire T-shirts under their turnout gear, which included helmets and radios, the LA County Sheriff's Department said. The truck had been purchased at an auction.
Both were arrested on charges of impersonating a firefighter and attempted unauthorized entry of a closed disaster area.
On July 22, Jennifer Nehl was given pretrial diversion for a mental disorder, meaning prosecution is postponed.
Under California law, a defendant who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder that was a significant factor in the alleged crime may be eligible for diversion.
Nehl will be on probation and is required to complete treatment for one year. If she shows success on diversion, the charges will be dismissed.
Dustin Nehl's case remains pending.
Attorneys for Jennifer Nehl and the state did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the Statesman Journal.
Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @isabeldfunk
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon woman accused of impersonating firefighter in LA gets diversion
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