(NewsNation) — An alleged arson suspect connected to the California wildfires entered the country illegally from Mexico, officials said in a statement.
Police had been questioning the involvement of Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, 33, in starting a fire that may have contributed to the wildfires.
Sierra-Leyva is a “Mexican national who entered the U.S. unlawfully at an unknown date and location without inspection by an immigration official,” a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement read.
The man was allegedly chased and apprehended by residents of Woodland Hills after they saw him setting fire to old Christmas trees and debris with what one resident described as a “flamethrower” soon after the massive wildfire began Thursday, the New York Post reported.
Sierra-Leyva has had multiple encounters with law enforcement since November 2016 for a variety of charges, ICE stated.
He was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in October 2023, in Van Nuys, California, and was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on Jan. 10 on a felony probation violation.
Officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations placed an immigration detainer on Sierra-Leyva on Jan. 12.
Sources told NewsNation that during his interview with special agents, Sierra-Leyva said he entered the United States through the mountains of Tecate, California, and is from Jalisco, Mexico.
He also said he has been in the U.S. since he was 17 years old.