THE LA wildfire arsonist that was tackled by heroic locals has been named by ICE sources as illegal immigrant Juan Manuel Sierra-Levya.
After being tackled to the ground and restrained with zip ties by residents, the man believed to be Sierra-Levya was arrested close to where the ferocious Kenneth Fire erupted on Thursday afternoon.
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A resident stopped the suspect riding around on a bike with a blowtorchCredit: Fox LA
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Other locals then help restrain the suspectCredit: Fox LA
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Police detaining the man suspected of arsonCredit: Instagram/@reresellsvroomvrooms
Authorities are treating the area as a crime scene as flames continue to rip across more than 1,000 acres.
The man captured in the viral video being confronted and apprehended allegedly wielding a blowtorch is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, ICE sources told Fox News.
LA cops took the man into custody after the group of residents got hold of him near the Kenneth Fire.
Dramatic footage shows the suspect – still gripping a blowtorch – arguing with a man in the street.
More residents then help restrain him before he is hauled to the ground.
They then used zip ties to hold him before police arrived.
Residents said they had spotted a man riding around on a bike gripping a blowtorch.
The suspected arsonist was attempting to set old discarded Christmas trees and garbage cans on fire, they claim.
Locals then followed him and stopped him before he was arrested, Fox LA reports.
“We really banded together as a group. A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees,” witness Renata Grinshpun told KLTA.
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A discarded blowtorch near where the suspect was arrestedCredit: Instagram/reresellsvroomvrooms
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The moment the arrest man was led away by copsCredit: Instagram/@reresellsvroomvrooms
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A man jumps as crews are battling to brush fire near Auto Center Drive in Ventura, CaliforniaCredit: Getty
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A cadaver dog, from the Los Angeles County Sheriff, sniffs through the rubble of beachfront properties destroyed by the Palisades FireCredit: AFP
Another clip then shows the suspected arsonist being detained by police with his arms cuffed behind his back.
ICE sources say that his name is Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, and the alleged arsonist is in custody due to a probation violation.
He has not been charged with arson and remains unknown if he may have started one of the most recent wildfires that razed LA.
ICE intends to put a detainer request on the man, which means ICE would be notified on any release so he can be transferred into their custody and potentially deported.
But they don’t expect it it to be honored as California is dubbed a “sanctuary” state that largely limits local and state law enforcement cooperation with the agency.
The terrifying footage of the blowtorch-wielding man, who has previously been reported as homeless, has sparked new debate over the Democratic city’s handling of its residents living on the streets.
Blazes caused by homeless individuals living on the streets of LA with potentially deadly encampments doubled between 2020 and 2023 – skyrocketing to 13,909, New York Post reports.
Hollywood resident and realtor Levi Freeman spoke of his safety concerns in May to NBC.
He said: “A tent fire could set other buildings ablaze and then go to the next building if [firefighters] can’t get here fast enough.
“People are literally dying in the streets in tents burning down around them.”
The US’s homeless issue has become such an issue that the Supreme Court issued a ruling on it in June allowing municipalities to arrest people camping out on the street.
But LA Mayor Karen Bass slammed the ruling as being political.
She said in a statement at the time: “Today’s decision is not surprising given the make-up of the Court but disappointing nonetheless.
“The only way to address this crisis is to bring people indoors with housing and supportive services.
“In the City of Los Angeles, we will continue leading with this approach.”
Republican President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to ban homeless encampments and instead have what he’s dubbed “tent cities”.
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Two people walk along a road in a fire-ravaged community in the aftermath of the Palisades FireCredit: AP
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Firefighters from Mexico cut a containment line in the Tarzana areaCredit: Reuters
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An aerial view of fire trucks, utility, and other vehicles parked along Pacific Coast Highway near homes destroyed in the Palisades FireCredit: Getty
Democrat Bass has agreed to try working with the Republican on the issue – including by moving the city’s homeless to shelters on federal property.
The Kenneth Fire continues to tear through Ventura County, which borders Los Angeles to the west, threatening luxurious homes in the area.
Dramatic pictures show helicopters dropping water on the raging inferno in a desperate bid to put out the blaze.
Evacuation warnings have reached the exclusive suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hill, where the Kardashians are among the celebrities who call the area home.
The Kenneth Fire started on the western edge of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, just two miles from a school serving as a shelter for fire evacuees shortly after 2:30 pm.
“About 20 minutes, 30 minutes later, a suspect was detained over in the Woodland Hills area by citizens,” Dinsel told NewsNation.
He said it was not clear how and why the fire was started – but it is “being investigated as a crime.”
By the evening, the blaze had moved into neighboring Ventura County before rapidly spreading overnight to more than 800 acres.
About 400 firefighters remained on the scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.
The Los Angeles Fire Department initially issued mandatory evacuation orders for the area known as Hidden Hills but has since downgraded that to warnings.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has said the penalty for the suspected arsonist could be as high as homicide and could result in life in prison.
“Justice will be swift. It will be firm, and the maximum punishment will be sought,” Hochman said.
“Our goal is to send this warning. Whether it’s looting, these internet scams, robbery or future arsons. … the day and age of a DA’s office standing on the sidelines is over.
“We want to bring justice, and we will.”
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Fire burns south of the Encino Reservoir, upper left, in Los AngelesCredit: AP
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The moment firenados ripped through LA hillsCredit: KTLA
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A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile EstatesCredit: AP