(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The man allegedly seen holding a blowtorch near one of the wildfires ravaging California has been revealed to be an illegal alien from Mexico, Fox News reported Tuesday.
The man, identified as Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, was apprehended by Los Angeles residents and later arrested by law enforcement officials, as seen in a viral video shared widely across social media.
The video shows Sierra-Leyva holding what appeared to be a yellow fuel tank in one hand and a nozzle in the other while a neighbor confronted him over an undisclosed issue.
Sierra-Leyva is seen shrugging his shoulders while the neighbor shouts and points at the apparent blowtorch.
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Two other men, presumably neighbors, rushed to the scene and tackled Sierra-Leyva to the ground. Law enforcement then arrived and arrested him.
Sierra-Leyva has not been charged with arson but remains in state custody due to a probation violation.
The outlet also reported that ICE plans to issue a detainer request for him. It is unlikely that state authorities will comply, given California’s sanctuary laws, which prohibit local police from holding individuals for immigration offenses.
While Sierra-Leyva has not been charged with arson, the video drew social media criticism, with many highlighting assumptions that some of the wildfires in Los Angeles may have been caused by human activity.
“When you have wind conditions like this, it brings out the serial arsonists, who are sickos,” a Los Angeles law enforcement source told Fox News.
In California, the wildfires have claimed the lives of 23 individuals and destroyed over 12,300 homes and structures, burning more than 40,644 acres of land.
There have been approximately 135 wildfires, over 22,000 emergency responses and 85,000 residents displaced.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Kenneth Fire, near where Sierra-Leyva was arrested, burned over 1,000 acres in three days. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
