Home US Chicago Fire actor Brian J White reveals dramatic moment he and his neighbors tackled a blowtorch-wielding illegal immigrant arson suspect at one of LA’s raging wildfires

Chicago Fire actor Brian J White reveals dramatic moment he and his neighbors tackled a blowtorch-wielding illegal immigrant arson suspect at one of LA’s raging wildfires

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Pictured: Brian J. White tries to calm the arson suspect who was reportedly holding a blowtorch outside his Woodland Hills home

Chicago fire actor Brian J. White has revealed how he and his neighbors boldly apprehended a blowtorch-wielding arson suspect near one of LA’s raging wildfires.

The 49-year-old was preparing to evacuate his Woodland Hills home when he heard screaming coming from outside his front door last Thursday.

White initially thought someone was holding a gun and that his neighbor was in trouble Term: ‘I hear shouting: ‘Put it down, put it down’.

The father of one told the news site that his daughter went to hide in the closet while he ran outside to help his neighbor.

But when he stepped out into his front yard, White said his neighbor confronted a man who tried to start a fire in front of his trash can filled with sticks and leaves.

Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, who was in the country illegally, was followed from down the street by the neighbor after he tried to light an old Christmas tree in the garbage bin on his street about 20 minutes earlier.

Along with a third neighbor, White told the outlet that they were “supporting the man against our neighbor’s house that was in front of it” and asked him why he was there.

Together, the neighbors held his arms behind his back and pushed him to the ground as they waited for police to arrive on the scene of the Kenneth Fire – which has now been brought under control.

Pictured: Brian J. White tries to calm the arson suspect who was reportedly holding a blowtorch outside his Woodland Hills home

Police take Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva into custody, but said they had no probable cause to arrest him on arson charges, and instead arrested him on a probation violation

Police take Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva into custody, but said they had no probable cause to arrest him on arson charges, and instead arrested him on a probation violation

White added that Sierra-Leyva was acting erratically and “seemed a little bit out of it, a lot out of it.”

He told Deadline that the man then became “very aggressive” when asked what he was doing in the area, to which Sierra-Leyva allegedly replied that he was “looking for a place to hang out.”

Footage shows White apparently trying to calm Sierra-Leyva, who was stopped by other neighbors and placed in citizen’s arrest.

β€œIt was more like hostage negotiation training,” White told Deadline.

“I’ve been on a lot of rides with police over the years, and one of the main things they talk about is staying calm and communicating.”

As Sierra-Leyva was confronted by the men, White’s wife Paula Da Silva captured the incident on her phone from across the street.

Pictured: One of White's neighbors is seen confronting Sierra-Leyva, who is reportedly holding a blowtorch

Pictured: One of White’s neighbors is seen confronting Sierra-Leyva, who is reportedly holding a blowtorch

White said the suspected arsonist was restrained with zip ties and rope from one of the neighbor’s garages.

When an officer arrived, the men who intervened were able to point the suspect to the police officer, who then took him into custody.

Police officers said at the time that the suspect was taken to the Topanga Police Station after being held for “approximately 20 to 30 minutes.”

Sources also told DailyMail.com that a resident called 911 around 4:30 PM Thursday to report a man was trying to start a fire on the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.

But officials later said they had no probable cause to arrest him on arson charges and instead arrested him for a probation violation.

“After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at additional evidence that was present, they concluded that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this individual on arson or suspicion of arson,” said Dominic Choi, division chief of the LA police. according to the Daily Wire.

Brian J. White is a Boston-born actor, best known for his roles in films such as Family Stone, The Game Plan and 12 Rounds, as well as the television shows Men of a Certain Age, Beauty & the Beast and Ambitions.

More than six million people in LA remain under critical fire threat due to yesterday’s high winds, which extended the scramble for firefighters battling the blazes.

At least 25 people have died in the wildfires and about 88,000 Californians are still under evacuation orders but are eager to return home.

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