Neighbors detain man with 'torch'
People confronted and detained a man who allegedly had a handheld torch near the Kenneth Fire in Los Angeles County on Thursday. Police arrived and arrested the man for violation of probation, not arson. (Credit: Instagram/@reresellsvroomvrooms)
The on-screen hero rescued his community by stopping a suspected arsonist from starting a fire in a Los Angeles neighborhood.
On Thursday, “Chicago Fire” actor Brian J. White was one of several residents who detained a man later determined to be an illegal immigrant from Mexico for allegedly brandishing a torch on private property.
White, who lives in Woodland Hills, was preparing to evacuate her neighborhood because of the nearby Kenneth Fire, which is now 100% contained, when she noticed something strange outside.
California wildfires: Essential phone numbers for Los Angeles area residents and how to help them
Brian J. White was preparing to evacuate due to the Los Angeles fires when he heard a commotion outside his home.
(Chris Sumner, via Storyful)
“We were packing up and all of a sudden we heard someone yelling, 'Put it down, put it down,' in front of our house,” White said. told the deadline. “I thought someone had a gun and my neighbor was being threatened. So my daughter hid in the closet and I went outside and ran upstairs to help my neighbor. .”
A video obtained by Fox News Digital shows multiple people shouting at the man, who ICE sources later said Fox was an illegal immigrant from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. I can hear it.
Attention: Neighbors arrest man with 'blowtorch'
White said a neighbor chased Sierra-Leyva to the home of White's immediate neighbor, where she was standing with a torch. They allegedly tried to burn flammable debris in White's trash can.
White said he and a third neighbor “rushed into the neighbor's house where the man was standing in front of him and asked him why he was in the neighborhood.” Ms White said the person was behaving erratically and “then became very aggressive when asked what he was doing here.”
“He said he was looking for a place to hang out, and we were like, 'Well, this is not the place to hang out.'
Brian J. White can be seen standing right next to Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. (Chris Sumner, via Storyful)
Man arrested with possible blowtorch near Los Angeles fire, illegal immigrant: Ice Sauce
White and her neighbors intended to leave the situation to police, who had been alerted by the men's wives, but Sierra-Leyva “became more aggressive.” White and his neighbors decided to make a citizen's arrest.
“Two of our neighbors work on their cars in their garages; they have zip ties in one garage; [a] There is a little rope in another garage. So we apprehended him, took him into custody, and waited for the police. 16 cruisers showed up within about 7 minutes of our call and the rest were reported on the news. ”
Brian J. White and his neighbor stand in the driveway while Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva sits on the ground. (Chris Sumner, via Storyful)
Representatives for White did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. According to Deadline, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Sierra Leyva on a felony charge of violation of probation, but there was not enough evidence to charge arson.
During his decades-long career, White has played multiple uniformed characters, including a detective in The Shield, We Belong Together, 12 Rounds, and a police officer in Ghost Whisperer. Ta. 2005 movie “Dirty”.
Brian J. White played firefighter Dallas Patterson on Chicago Fire. (Elizabeth Morris/NBCU Photobank/NBC Universal via Getty Images, via Getty Images)
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Preparation for these roles, which White called “hostage negotiation training,” enabled White to remain calm in sticky situations outside of the home.
“I've been on many police ride-alongs over the years, and one of the main things they talk about is staying calm and communicating,” he said. . “So I was trying to make it clear to this gentleman that I didn't care about an explanation at all. He was standing on my property with a torch lit and I was waiting until the police arrived. I'm going to get it.”
“We needed to find out if he had any weapons and if we were in danger,” he added. “We tried to stay calm, but when the situation escalated, we tried to react quickly. So we asked other neighbors to help us with ropes and zip ties. So, yeah, thank you to everyone who helped out.'' They trained me to do police work, fire work, and fight to prepare for moments like that. ”
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Brian J. White says his past training for the on-screen role came in handy when playing against Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET)
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As of Wednesday morning, there were three fires burning in Los Angeles County and one in Ventura County. The Palisades Fire remains the least contained at 19%.
Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
