Man Detained With Blowtorch Near Wildfire ID’d As Illegal Immigrant, Not Charged With Arson: Report

The man with a blowtorch who was arrested last week in the Los Angeles area, where a number of wildfires have wreaked havoc over the past several days, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, according to a new report.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared new details in a post to X on Sunday evening, noting that he got his information from insiders from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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

“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,” Melugin said.

“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,” Melugin added. “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.”

The Daily Wire previously reported that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said on Thursday night a suspect had been detained in the Woodland Hills area in possible connection to the Kenneth Fire in the nearby West Hills. Newsweek posted video showing what it said were neighbors banding together to stop the arson suspect. The man had been walking with a bike and what appeared to be a yellow blow torch before being stopped by the citizens. At the end of the video, police took the individual into custody.

However, authorities said on Friday that the man had been arrested on a felony probation violation and was not facing arson charges,” according to KTLA.

“After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson,” said LAPD Divisional Chief Dominic Choi, who also noted that the investigation was “ongoing.”