Illegal Immigrant Arrested Near Kenneth Fire In Los Angeles Remains A Person of Interest

The suspect arrested with a blowtorch near one of the fires in the Los Angeles area is a convicted felon who’s in the country illegally. Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva of Mexico was arrested Thursday near the thousand-acre Kenneth Fire, and is being held on a felony probation violation. He was caught by good Samaritans and taken into custody, where he remains a person of interest in the fire and has so far not been charged with arson. Immigration officials have placed a detainer on the suspect, and the LA County Sheriff’s Department says they will hand him over with an arrest warrant. He’s been arrested several times since 2016, including three times since 2023, when he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.