A man has been arrested after firefighters caught him ‘actively lighting fires’ in Los Angeles county, it has emerged.
Ruben Montes, 29, was arrested for arson on Sunday in Irwindale, California, roughly 16 miles away from Altadena, where the deadly Eaton Fire continues to rage.
Firefighters were responding to a small brush fire in Irwindale when they witnessed Montes starting blazes in the area, police have confirmed.
He was detained by officers at the scene and ultimately arrested for arson.
Details surrounding the incident are limited and police have not revealed where Montes was booked.
Police have also not revealed if Montes was responsible for starting the brush fire or if any of the blazes that he allegedly lit have caused damage. It is also unclear if he has any ties to the other fires ravaging LA.
His arrest comes just days after an illegal immigrant was arrested for allegedly setting a fire in Calabasas, west of Beverly Hills.
Police and firefighters responded to a small brush blaze near Rivergrade Road and the 605 Freeway on Sunday around 12.30pm
Officials did not provide say whether the brush fire had been quenched, but photos shared by police show firefighters cleaning up what appears to an extinguished blaze
Firefighters were responding to a small brush fire in Irwindale when they witnessed Ruben Montes, 29, ‘actively lighting fires’ in the area. Firefighters are pictured at the scene
LA county firefighters responded to a a small brush fire near Rivergrade Road and the 605 Freeway around 12.30pm on Sunday.
While on the scene, they witnessed Montes ‘suspect actively lighting fires in the area’, police said.
‘Responding Irwindale Police officers were directed to the suspect, identified as Ruben Montes, a 29-year-old resident of Baldwin Park. He was detained and subsequently arrested for arson,’ the force added.
‘We thank our partners at LACOFD for their quick actions and teamwork to help bring this dangerous situation under control.’
Officials did not provide say whether the brush fire had been quenched, but photos shared by police show firefighters cleaning up what appears to an extinguished blaze.
Montes’ arrest comes just days after Mexican national Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva was detained by Calabasas residents for allegedly starting fires in the area.
Sierra-Leyva was caught on video walking with a yellow blowtorch before he was confronted by residents in the area.
They held his arms behind his back and pushed him to the ground as they waited for police to arrive on the scene near the Kenneth Fire – which has since been contained.
The homeless arson suspect who was taken into custody near where one of the three Los Angeles wildfires broke out has been identified as Mexican national Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva
Officials took him into custody but said they lacked probable cause to arrest him on arson charges, and instead arrested him on a probation violation
One witness later recounted that Sierra-Leyva was ‘very focused on moving forward with the blow torch’, telling FOX 11 the suspect said: ‘I can’t stop. I can’t stop. I’m not putting this down. I’m doing this.’
Renata Grinshpun also recalled how the community ‘really banded together as a group’. She told KTLA: ‘A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees. They got some zip ties, a rope and we were able to do a citizen’s arrest.’
Once an officer approached, the three men who intervened could be seen pointing out the suspect to the police officer, who proceeds to take the suspect into custody.
Police officers said at the time the suspect was taken to the Topanga police station after being restrained for ‘about 20 to 30 minutes.’
Sources also told DailyMail.com that a resident called 911 to report a male attempting to set a fire at the 21700 block of Ybarra road at around 4.30pm Thursday.
But officials later said they lacked the probable cause to arrest him on arson charges and instead arrested him on a probation violation.
‘After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson,’ LA Police Department Divisional Chief Dominic Choi said, according to the Daily Wire.
They said the investigation was ‘ongoing.’ Sierra-Leyva is due back in court Monday.
In the meantime, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are planning to place a detainer request on Sierra-Leyva, but they do not expect it to be honored due to California’s sanctuary state law, Bill Melugin reports.
Yet the detainer request comes as three fires continue to burn through 40,000 acres across the most affluent neighborhoods in LA, with A-list celebrity homes and restaurant hotspots among the 12,300 structures wiped out.
A firefighter sprays water on a home burning in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California on Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Search and Rescue crews work the devastation zone in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 in Altadena, California
After making some progress battling the apocalyptical wildfires that have killed at least 24 people in the LA area, firefighters prepared for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the flames.
Sixteen of the 24 deaths were attributed to the Eaton Fire and eight to the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four were missing from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Investigators were trying to figure out if some of the missing might be among the dead.
The toll could rise as cadaver dogs conducted systematic searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities established a center where people could report the missing.
The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a ‘particularly dangerous situation,’ beginning overnight Monday into Tuesday.
It predicted severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of up to 40mph and gusts in the mountains reaching 70mph.
The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting Sunday night.
Homes that were destroyed in the Eaton Fire are left in the dark of night on January 12, 2025 in Altadena, California
Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the nation’s second-largest city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.
In all, four fires have consumed more than 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena and the Palisades Fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific Coast, alone accounted for 59 square miles. Each fire had some containment, which increased over the weekend.
About 150,000 people in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, with more than 700 residents taking refuge in nine shelters.
Officials said most of the orders in the Palisades area were unlikely to be lifted before the red flag warnings expire Wednesday evening.
