Los Angeles, known as the City of Angels and home to Hollywood, is engulfed in a raging wildfire, reducing everything in its path to ruins. Thousands of acres of land have been reduced to ashes. So far, 24 lives have been lost, many people are still missing, and over 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed by six simultaneous wildfires that broke out across the county on Tuesday. Amidst this severe calamity, social media is being misused to spread misinformation rather than foster sympathy. One such viral post on X claims that Bhuvesh Patel, a Hindu, was caught attempting to start a fire using a torch blower with the intent to loot areas already devastated by the flames.
Urban asserted, ‘Pajeet, Bhuvesh Patel (Hindu) was caught trying to start a fire with torch blower for looting in areas devastated by fires.’
Crimes Reports India wrote, ‘Hindu Pajet, Bhuvesh Patel was caught trying to start a fire with torch blower for looting in areas devastated by fires.’
Prohit, Jasmine, ORC, Mikael, Izaa, Zainab and Faizan also shared a similar claim.
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We began our fact-checking process by performing a reverse image search of the viral video. The search led us to a Times of India report published on January 10, 2024. According to the report, a homeless man, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was detained on suspicion of attempting to start a fire amid the Kenneth Fire, one of the latest wildfires to devastate Los Angeles. While it remains unclear whether the Kenneth Fire was intentionally ignited, police confirmed that the man was seen approximately 20 to 30 minutes after the fire began. Around 4:30 PM on Thursday, officers received a call from locals reporting that a man was trying to start a fire behind a van on the 21700 block of Ybara Road in Woodland Hills.
The Times of India further stated that although police have not disclosed the suspect’s identity, they confirmed he is a homeless individual who appeared determined to set things on fire. Witnesses described how, when restrained, he repeatedly said, “I can’t stop. I can’t stop. I’m not putting this down. I’m doing this.” One local recalled telling him, “We can’t be doing that right now.” The man reportedly told bystanders he was using a blowtorch to smoke marijuana because he couldn’t afford a lighter. He is believed to be in his mid-20s and primarily speaks Spanish.
Additionally, we found another Times of India report from January 13, 2024, which identified the man as Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, who was detained near the Kenneth Fire for allegedly trying to start another fire. According to the report, Sierra-Leyva is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Sources from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed Fox News that Sierra-Leyva is currently in custody for violating probation. Although he is being questioned by multiple agencies regarding the fire, he has not been formally charged with arson. His court appearance is scheduled for Monday, where more details are expected to emerge.
Furthermore, we found a post by Bill Melugin, a Fox News journalist based in Los Angeles. Melugin posted on X: “Per ICE sources, the man seen in a viral video being subdued by residents and arrested by police with a blowtorch near the #KennethFire in West Hills is an illegal alien from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody for a probation violation and has NOT been charged with arson. I’m told ICE will place a detainer request on him with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, but they do not expect it to be honored due to California’s Sanctuary State law. He will have a court appearance tomorrow. Again, he has not been charged with arson and is in custody only for a probation violation, as multiple agencies continue to question him.”
Thus, the claim circulating online which associates the individual with a blowtorch as being of Indian origin or Hindu lacks credible verification or any substantial evidence. This unsubstantiated portrayal is an attempt to falsely link the man to India possibly driven by malicious intent. Such baseless claims are cleverly designed to harm the reputation of India fueling negative stereotypes against Indian.
| Claim | Bhavesh Patel was caught trying to start a fire with torch blower for looting in areas devastated by fires |
| Claimed by | Social media users |
| Fact Check | The accused name is Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who was detained for a probation violation near the Kenneth Fire. He has not been charged with arson and remains under investigation. |
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