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Man arrested near LA fires with possible blowtorch is an illegal immigrant: ICE sources

Articles | January 14, 2025 | by Catholics for Catholics


A man seen in a viral video being confronted and apprehended by Los Angeles residents, and who was eventually arrested by police with an alleged blowtorch, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sources tell Fox News.

Los Angeles police took the man into custody after a group of local residents grabbed him near the Kenneth Fire, allegedly carrying a blowtorch, according to video from Fox 11 Los Angeles.

He is shown holding a torch head and a yellow fuel tank, before being tackled to the ground by at least five residents.

ICE sources tell Fox that he is a Mexican illegal immigrant named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody due to a probation violation and has not been charged with arson.

ICE intends to place a detainer request on him – a request that ICE be notified on any release so he can be transferred into their custody and potentially deported. However, they do not expect it to be honored as California is a “sanctuary” state that largely limits local and state law enforcement cooperation with the agency.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

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