14.01.2025 16:30
A person suspected of playing a role in starting a large fire in Los Angeles was captured by local residents. The suspect was identified as Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, a Mexican undocumented immigrant. Sierra-Leyva was arrested for attempting to set old Christmas trees and trash cans on fire while riding his bicycle.
The person suspected of causing a large fire in Los Angeles and captured by local residents has been identified as Mexican undocumented immigrant Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. The suspect, who was caught with a blowtorch in the area where the Kenneth Fire started on Thursday, was taken into custody for violating supervised release.
According to eyewitness accounts, the suspect, who was riding a bicycle, was attempting to set fire to old Christmas trees and trash cans. When local residents noticed the situation, they took action, surrounding the suspect and restraining him with plastic handcuffs until the police arrived.
The incident was recorded on a cellphone camera. The footage shows the suspect arguing with a man while holding a blowtorch, and then being taken to the ground with the intervention of other residents. Eyewitness Renata Grinshpun stated, "We came together as a group, and a few people managed to get him to kneel."
ICE sources indicated that they plan to issue a detention request for Sierra-Leyva, but noted that due to California's status as a "sanctuary state," this request is likely to be denied. The suspect has not yet been charged with arson, and his connection to the recent fires in Los Angeles is under investigation.
Meanwhile, the incident has brought the issue of homelessness in the city back into focus. According to a report by the New York Post, the number of fires in homeless camps on LA streets has doubled between 2020 and 2023, reaching 13,909. Authorities continue to assess the area where the Kenneth Fire started, which affected over 1,000 acres, as a crime scene.