By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-15 07:09:25 | Updated at 2025-01-15 12:06:01
5 hours ago
A former “Chicago Fire” actor and his neighbors jumped into action and detained a “flamethrower”-wielding Mexican national near the Kenneth Fire threatening the area during a dramatic citizen’s arrest last week.
Brian J. White — who portrayed Captain Dallas Patterson on the hit NBC show — was gearing up to flee his Woodland Hills home if the fire jumped from the neighboring West Hills neighborhood on Thursday when he heard shouting from outside.
“I hear screaming, ‘Put it down, put it down,’” White told Deadline of one of his neighbors confronting 33-year-old Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva.
The actor believed there was a gunman outside, as his daughter hid in a closet and he raced outside to help his fellow good Samaritans.
The eagled-eye neighbor had watched the bike-riding Sierra-Leyva with a blowtorch attempt to light a fire to White’s trash can, which contained leaves and sticks.
Sierra-Leyva, who was in the country illegally, had been chased off the street 20 minutes earlier after the unidentified neighbor watched him try and light an old Christmas tree on fire.
The 49-year-old actor joined his two other neighbors and backed Sierra-Leyva onto the front yard of one of the nearby houses where they detained the firebug and his blowtorch.
Footage captured White seemingly attempting to calm down Sierra-Leyva who was being restrained by two men during the confrontation.
“It was more a hostage negotiating training,” White told the outlet. “I’ve gone on a lot of police ride-alongs over the years, and one of the main things they talk about is staying calm and communicating.
“So I was trying to clearly communicate to the gentleman that I don’t really care for an explanation. He’s standing on my property with an ignited blowtorch, so I’m just going to make sure that he waits until the police come.”
Sierra-Leyva was restrained with zip ties and rope from some of the neighbors’ garages.
While Sierra-Leyva was being confronted by several men, White’s wife, Paula Da Silva, captured the arrest on her phone from across the street.
White said the accused arsonist began acting erratic and seemed out of it as he waited for police.
“He then became very aggressive about being asked what he was doing here,” White added. “He said he was looking for a place to hang out. And we’re like, well, this isn’t the place to hang out.”
The group of neighbors told the unwelcomed visitor that they were “making a citizen’s arrest.”
Police arrested Sierra-Leyva and charged him with felony probation violation, not having enough evidence to slap him with arson.
The band of neighbors don’t agree with the police’s lack of evidence for an arson charge.
“The fires were approaching us from where that man had come from, so it was suspicious that the fires crept over close to his timing of being in our neighborhood with a blowtorch,” White said.
Following his arrest, ICE placed a detainer on Sierra-Leyva on Sunday, but doesn’t expect it to be honored due to California’s sanctuary state law, sources told The Post.
White, a recurring character on “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” called his reaction a “split-second decision” to protect his wife and daughter from the fire-crazed menace.
“It makes me feel good that that was my instant reaction. It makes me feel good that that was the reaction of all the neighbors that helped and responded,” White said as he feels better knowing his neighborhood is protected by vigilant residents.
The Kenneth Fire had torn through 1,052 acres of land in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties before being fully contained on the morning of Jan. 12, three days after igniting near Victory Boulevard in West Hills.
