'Chicago Fire' actor Brian J. White helps detain illegal immigrant with blowtorch near LA fire zone
2025-01-16
Category: entertainment

An on-screen hero came to his own community's rescue after stopping a suspected arsonist from lighting 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 identified as an illegal immigrant from Mexico, for allegedly waving a blowtorch on private property. White, who lives in Woodland Hills, was preparing to evacuate his neighborhood due to the nearby Kenneth Fire (now 100% contained), when he realized something was awry outside. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM  "We were packing up, and all of a sudden, out front of our house, I hear screaming, ‘Put it down, put it down,'" White told Deadline. "I thought somebody had a gun and my neighbor was in duress, so my daughter went and hid in the closet, and I went running upstairs to go outside and help my neighbor." In video obtained by Fox News Digital, individuals can be heard screaming at a man that ICE sources would later tell Fox was an illegal immigrant from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. WATCH: HOLLYWOOD ACTOR HELPS DETAIN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECTED OF ARSON  According to White, a resident in the neighborhood had chased Sierra-Leyva down to White's direct neighbor's home, where he stood with a blowtorch. He had allegedly been trying to burn flammable debris in White's trash can. White, along with a third neighbor, said they "backed the guy against our neighbor’s house that he was standing in front of, asking him why he was in the neighborhood." White said the individual was acting erratically and "then became very aggressive about being asked what he was doing here."&nbsp; WATCH: RESIDENTS IN NEIGHBORHOOD DETAIN MAN WITH ‘BLOWTORCH’  "He said he was looking for a place to hang out. And we’re like, ‘Well, this isn’t the place to hang out.’"  MAN ARRESTED NEAR LA FIRES WITH POSSIBLE BLOWTORCH IS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: ICE SOURCES White and his neighbors intended to let the police – who had been called by the men's wives – handle the situation, but Sierra-Leyva "became more aggressive." White and his neighbors decided to make a citizen's arrest.&nbsp; "Two of our neighbors work on cars in the garages; they had zip ties in one garage and [a] little bit of rope in another garage. So we took him down, detained him, and waited for the police. Sixteen cruisers showed up within about seven minutes of us calling, and the rest is on the news."  A representative for White did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Per Deadline, LAPD arrested Sierra-Leyva for felony probation violation, but didn't have enough evidence for an arson charge. Over the span of his decades-long career, White has played several characters in uniform, including a detective in "The Shield," "We Belong Together" and "12 Rounds," as well as a police officer in "Ghost Whisperer" and the 2005 movie, "Dirty."  LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Preparation for those roles – what White called "hostage negotiating training" – is what allowed White to remain calm in the troubling situation outside his home.&nbsp; "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," he said. "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."  "We needed to find out if he had any weapons on him, if we were in danger," he added. "We tried to stay calm, and then when it got physical, we tried to make sure that it was quick, which is why we asked for other neighbors to help us with ropes and zip ties. So yeah, I am thankful for everybody that’s ever trained me in police work and fire work and fighting to be prepared for moments like that." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As of Wednesday morning, there were three active 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.