A man was arrested near the Kenneth Fire in LA for allegedly trying to start fires with a flamethrower, and he is an illegal immigrant.
They identified him as Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, a Mexican national. He was caught by residents in Woodland Hills after they spotted him torching old Christmas trees and debris right after the wildfire kicked off.
People jumped into action, surrounding him and getting him on his knees. They used zip ties to hold him down until the LAPD showed up. He’s now facing a felony probation violation, but they haven’t shared what his previous conviction was.
Detectives are looking into whether he was trying to commit arson, but the LAPD said they don’t have enough evidence for that charge just yet. ICE is planning to put a detainer on him, but they don’t think California will honor it because of the state’s sanctuary laws.
California’s law, which has been around since 2017, makes sure that state resources aren’t used to help federal immigration enforcement. Plus, the Los Angeles City Council recently passed an ordinance to keep city resources out of federal immigration actions.
There’s even a viral video of the whole scene, showing neighbors cornering Sierra-Leyva while he held what looked like a flamethrower. One guy was yelling at him to put it down!
One witness, Renata Grinshpun, said she heard a car screech and a guy yelling about a fire. She saw a group of men surround him and help make a citizens’ arrest.
When the LAPD arrived, they took him into custody, but no arson charges have been filed against him yet. The Kenneth Fire burned over 1,050 acres in just three days but was fully contained by Sunday morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
