A California man caught with a blowtorch near the Kenneth wildfire has now been identified and he is an illegal from Mexico.
He hasn’t been charged with arson but he is in custody and ICE plans to put a detainer request on him, though they don’t expect it to be honored.
Via Bill Melugin:
NEW: Per ICE sources, the man seen in a viral video being subdued by residents & arrested by police w/ a blowtorch near the #KennethFire in West Hills is an illegal alien from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody on a probation violation & has NOT been charged w/ arson. I’m told ICE will place a detainer request on him with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, but they do not expect it to be honored due to California’s Sanctuary State law. I’m told Sierra-Leyva will have a court appearance tomorrow. Again – he has not been charged w/ arson and is in custody only on a probation violation at the moment, as multiple agencies have been interviewing him.
NEW: Per ICE sources, the man seen in a viral video being subdued by residents & arrested by police w/ a blowtorch near the #KennethFire in West Hills is an illegal alien from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody on a probation violation & has NOT been charged…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 13, 2025
Below is the video of the illegal being detained by regular citizens:
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In related news the death toll contilutions to go up:
BREAKING: The death toll has risen again. The LA County Coroner now confirms 24 people have died as a result of the #PalisadesFire and the #EatonFire. The count was 16 dead coming into today. The updates continue to get worse.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 13, 2025
