A blowtorch-wielding man subdued by Los Angeles residents in a viral online video is living in the United States unlawfully despite multiple arrests and an assault conviction, federal immigration authorities confirmed.
Juan Manuel Sierra, a 33-year-old Mexican national, is an illegal migrant “gotaway” who carries an extensive rap sheet with local law enforcement, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Sierra is currently being held by Los Angeles police on suspicion of contributing to the wildfires that have devastated Southern California in the past several days.
“Juan Manuel Sierra, 33, aka Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, Juan Leva, Leyva Moniker, and Juan Sierra, is a Mexican national who entered the U.S. unlawfully at an unknown date and location without inspection by an immigration official,” the ICE spokesperson said. “Sierra has multiple encounters with law enforcement from November 2016 to present for a variety of charges and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon Oct. 10, 2023, in Van Nuys, California.”
“Sierra was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department Jan. 10 on a felony probation violation,” the spokesperson continued. “Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations placed an immigration detainer on Sierra Jan. 12.”
Residents in Woodland Hills, California, many of whom were preparing to evacuate due to the nearby Kenneth fire at the time, noticed a man biking around the neighborhood holding a blowtorch and attempting to light trash cans with tree debris and a dead Christmas tree on fire, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. Shocked locals eventually held him down, handcuffed him with zip-ties and called the police.
Sierra remains in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). However, it’s not immediately clear whether the LAPD will honor the detainer placed on him, as local law enforcement officials are subjected to strict sanctuary policies at the city and local level that largely forbid cooperation with ICE agents.
The LAPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
Southern California has been devastated by numerous local fires in recent days, killing several and leading to billions in property damage. At least 24 individuals have so far died from the raging fires, and financial analysts predict the disaster could cost insurers as much as $30 billion, according to ABC News.
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