A video that circulated online showed a man being subjected to a citizen’s arrest after he was seen carrying a blowtorch near the location of the Los Angeles wildfires. Reports have revealed that the man is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
According to a report by RedState’s Sister Toldjah, witnesses observed the man moving around the area with a bright yellow blowtorch before concerned residents decided to take action.
One participant mentioned, “We really banded together as a group. A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees. They got some zip ties, a rope, and we were able to perform a citizen’s arrest.”
The suspect was initially only identified in media reports as being “homeless.”
Concerns arose that authorities did not have enough to keep him in custody without enough probable cause to charge the man. He would eventually be arrested on a felony probation violation.
NEW: @FOXLA has exclusively obtained video of a man carrying a blow torch in Woodland Hills, CA Thursday not far from the Kenneth Fire. LAPD says the man is in custody but “can’t confirm any connection to any fire by this suspect”. #CaliforniaWildfires #KennethFire pic.twitter.com/ULwxtnfsdj
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) January 10, 2025
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin posted late Sunday night to X that the man in that viral video had been identified as Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva.
Sierra-Leyva is reportedly an illegal immigrant hailing from Mexico. Melugin has been told that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to place a detainer on him with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
“They do not expect it to be honored due to California’s Sanctuary State law,” he writes.
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
Sierra-Leyva is expected to be in court on Monday, though it’s important to note he has not been charged with arson as of yet. The Telegraph had revealed he was arrested just five miles from where the Kenneth fire is believed to have started.
Sean Dinse, from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Topanga Division, told reporters that “we believe” the Kenneth fire was started “deliberately” but cautioned the investigation remains ongoing.
CA Dem Becomes Sputtering Mess When Asked Why Assembly Is Holding Special Session on Trump As Fires Rage
California’s Sanctuary State Law, officially known as the California Values Act (SB 54), was signed into law in 2017. It limits the cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, restricting when and how local agencies can assist with immigration enforcement.
SB 54 was passed in the California Senate on a strictly party-line vote, with all 27 Democrats voting in favor.
Meanwhile, Politico reports that Democratic legislative leaders in the State Assembly and State Senate just struck a $50 million deal to “Trump-proof” California. A significant portion of that taxpayer money — $25 million — will provide grants for immigration legal services/support groups.
While California burns, Democrats are focused on President-elect Donald Trump and making sure people like Sierra-Leyva — blowtorch in hand — have top-notch legal representation should he face deportation.
RedState will keep readers updated on the Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva as updates come in.
