Italian police have arrested two people for allegedly looting quake-damaged homes.

Police say officers riding motorcycles Monday to navigate rubble-strewn streets arrested a Romanian man and woman.

The suspects were driving a car with German plates and were arrested for suspected looting in Preta.

The hamlet is near the hardest-hit town, Amatrice, where least 231 people perished in the Aug. 24 quake and hundreds of homes collapsed or became unsafe to inhabit. In all, 292 people are confirmed dead in several towns in central Italy.

Police say the pair, in their 40s, allegedly stole about 300 euros, clothing and other items from several homes. Some people are sleeping in cars near their homes for fear of looting.