Last Updated on January 13, 2025
An illegal alien was arrested with a blowtorch near the Kenneth fire in the Los Angeles region, which burned more than 1,000 acres of lan, according to a report by Fox News’ Bill Melugin.
According to Melugin, ICE sources confirmed that the man apprehended near the #KennethFire in West Hills, captured in a viral video, is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. Currently, he is in custody for a probation violation and has not been charged with arson. ICE plans to request a detainer on him with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, although compliance may be hindered by California’s Sanctuary State law. Sierra-Leyva is expected to appear in court the next day. Melugin reiterated that the only existing charge against him is a probation violation, and various agencies are conducting interviews with him.
Interestingly, the New York Post reported that Sierra-Leyva has an extensive criminal record in LA County, including a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon in 2023. Despite spending two years in prison, he has not been deported from the US.
The office of Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) called out the Biden administration after Sierra-Levya’s arrest.
In a stark statement, Melugin expressed concerns that illegal aliens are utilizing blowtorches to start fires and impersonating firefighters to carry out burglaries. He criticized what he viewed as inadequate leadership in California, attributing it to the suffering of many Americans. Melugin further warned that flawed immigration policies were exposing more Americans to potential dangers.
🚨Illegal Aliens are starting fires with blowtorches and posing as fire fighters to burglarize homes.
Weak Democrat leadership in California resulted in devestation for thousands of Americans, now their failed immigration policies are putting even more Americans in danger. pic.twitter.com/YUuLGpAxy9
— Rep. Wesley Hunt Press Office (@RepWPH) January 13, 2025
Hunt was referring to a man who was arrested in a fake fireman outfit and is suspected of disguising himself in order to loot burned wreckage.
According to the state of California, the Kenneth fire is 100% contained. However, the Palisades fire, which has ravaged almost 24,000 acres, is only 14 percent contained, and the Eaton fire, which has burned over 14,000 acres, is only 33 percent contained.
The state says that more than 12,300 structures have burned to the ground, while latest news reports say that at least 25 people have died.
