A homeless man was arrested for allegedly starting the Kenneth Fire in Los Angeles after locals detained him while he appeared to use a makeshift flamethrower. The suspect was seen in Woodland Hills on Thursday afternoon, riding a bicycle and igniting fires on old Christmas trees and trash cans. These incidents occurred near the ignition point of the Kenneth Fire, which has since burned over 960 acres.
Outgoing acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director P.J. Lechleitner expressed strong criticism of the Biden administration's delayed efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Political commentator Mike Cernovich called for President-elect Donald Trump to intervene in the state of California to reconstruct its policies to benefit its citizens.
The Department of Defense announced that it would "provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities to California as that state’s Los Angeles County region continues to be ravaged by a series of out-of-control wildfires.”
Border Patrol agents in California apprehended Venezuelan migrant Jose Gonzalez Roa, a suspected member of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang. Gonzalez Roa has a lengthy criminal record spanning New York, Colorado, and California, where he is wanted for attempted murder. Despite previous deportations, the suspect managed to cross the U.S.-Mexico border multiple times, including a recent return to Mexico reportedly to visit his girlfriend.
Authorities are intensifying their search for Ashley Elkins, a 30-year-old hairstylist and mother of two from Warren, Michigan, who has been missing since January 2.
Southern California is facing dangerous air quality conditions as three major wildfires—the Palisades Fire in western Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire near Altadena, and the Hurst/Sylmar Fire near Santa Clarita—continue to burn out of control.
Phoenix police have announced the capture of Glenn Bales, a fugitive who skipped bail on child pornography charges and fled to Mexico. Bales, 51, was initially arrested in November 2018 on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
