One standard for them, another for us — this is ‘forgiveness asymmetry’



Left-wing terrorism is back. Tesla dealerships and charging stations are the targets of a firebombing campaign, quietly supported by opponents of the current administration and their inability to accept political defeat.

While the White House has declared these arsons to be domestic terrorism, the opposition is in no rush to condemn the attacks. Indeed, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) even framed them as legitimate protest, with zero pushback from his CNN interviewer.

The old ruling class and its left-wing allies will forgive, rehabilitate, and even idolize perpetrators of the worst kinds of political violence.

We shouldn’t be surprised. This sort of thing has happened many times before.

Luigi Mangione, facing life behind bars for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is considered a folk hero by many on the left. Legacy media, Democrats, and even some Republicans declared their sympathy for the motivations of staggeringly violent Black Lives Matter riots in 2020.

A few months after the “Summer of Love,” those same people framed the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as an unforgivable “insurrection” against democracy.

It’s all a symptom of what I call “forgiveness asymmetry.”

On the right, many conservatives will enthusiastically purge people who are nominally on their own side, often over mere words — offensive jokes, remarks, and fringe viewpoints.

Meanwhile, the old ruling class and its left-wing allies will forgive, rehabilitate, and even idolize perpetrators of the worst kinds of political violence.

Consider the wave of left-wing terrorism that swept across America in the 1970s and 1980s. In those years, a variety of far-left organizations carried out thousands of bombings, armed robberies, prison breaks, and shoot-outs across the country. These included the killing of police officers, plane hijackings, and the bombing of government buildings.

Despite the widespread death and destruction, many Americans are completely unaware that it happened. Given the partisan slant of the education system, it’s unlikely that you heard about it in a high school history class. You’re also unlikely to have heard about it in college, especially if you attended a campus where the former terrorists were awarded professorships.

Professorships. But first, the history.

Aftermath of a bomb explosion in the U.S. Capitol building on Nov. 8, 1983.Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

When terror was commonplace

As Vanity Fair correspondent Bryan Burrough recounts in his 2015 book, “Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence,” left-wing political violence was routine 50 years ago:

"People have completely forgotten that in 1972 we had over nineteen hundred domestic bombings in the United States," notes a retired FBI agent, Max Noel. "People don't want to listen to that. They can't believe it. One bombing now and everyone gets excited. In 1972? It was every day. Buildings getting bombed, policemen getting killed. It was commonplace.”

The violence emerged from the political froth of the 1960s student movement, when a radical faction of the far-left protesters decided that sit-ins and placards were not enough to achieve revolutionary change. New methods — violent methods — would be necessary.

The most famous terrorist faction was the Weather Underground, which carried out a string of bombings in the 1970s. Its targets included the Pentagon, the State Department, and a Chicago memorial for fallen police officers. The Weathermen praised the Manson family murders and debated the ethics of killing white babies to avoid bringing more “oppressors” into the world.

The Weather Underground last rose to public attention in 2008 due to then-candidate Barack Obama’s palling around with its co-founders, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. It’s the only time I can remember leftist terrorism breaking into the national news cycle, and it only happened because Republicans forced the issue. It’s not as if legacy media wanted to talk about it.

There were many other groups that are now largely forgotten. There was the May 19th Communist Organization, which bombed government buildings and conducted bank robberies in the 1980s. There was also the Black Liberation Army, which murdered numerous police officers and even hijacked a passenger aircraft in the 1970s. And there was the United Freedom Front, which bombed at least 20 corporate and government buildings in the same decade.

These disparate groups shared a common ideology, born from the radical left-wing politics of the 1960s. It was a potent cocktail of communism, “anti-imperialism” (though not necessarily anti-Soviet imperialism), black liberation, and women’s liberation — the forerunners of what we now call wokeness.

Isn’t it funny that the same people who brushed this decade-long insurgency under the historical rug want us to be mad about one day of trespassing on Jan. 6, 2021?

M19CO, for example, was so named because May 19 was the birthday of both Ho Chi Minh and Malcolm X. In its public statements, the Weather Underground promised to “lead white kids into armed revolution” on behalf of black people, against “capitalists” and “imperialism.” The UFF said its bombings were motivated by “racist imperialism in South Africa.”

When we think of wokeness today, we think of black Vikings on TV and transgender activists in Bud Light ads. In the 1970s, it would have conjured images of pipe bombs and police shoot-outs.

The terrorist wave set a trend of targeting high-profile targets. Leftist terrorists bombed the U.S. Capitol building — twice. They bombed the State Department. They bombed police stations, prisons, and banks. The target was always the U.S. government and Western corporations. Corporations, cops, and America itself were the enemy. As stated in a variety of public declarations, their goal was the violent destruction of the racist, capitalist, imperialist United States.

Isn’t it funny that the same people who brushed this decade-long insurgency under the historical rug want us to be mad about one day of trespassing on Jan. 6, 2021?

From terrorists to professors

What’s remarkable about the 1970s terrorism is how quickly its perpetrators were forgiven. Ayers and Dohrn, the pair who started it all, barely suffered any consequences. The FBI investigation of Ayers coincided with public revelations about the bureau's use of illegal wiretaps and warrantless property searches. When it emerged that these tactics were used against the Weather Underground, charges against Ayers were dropped. He never spent a day in jail.

Over the following decades, Columbia University accepted Ayers into its grad school, the University of Illinois awarded him a professorship, and the American Educational Research Association appointed him its vice president for curriculum studies.

School curricula. For your kids.

Dohrn received little more than a slap on the wrist. When she turned herself in to the authorities in 1980, she received a $1,500 fine and three years’ probation. Had she not refused to testify against fellow terrorist Susan Rosenberg, she would have served no time in jail. In the end, she was behind bars for a mere seven months.

A few years later, Dohrn was hired by the prestigious multinational law firm Sidley Austin, even though she had never practiced law before. Asked about this hiring decision, the head of the firm (a pal of her father-in-law) casually remarked, “We often hire friends.” Despite failing to obtain a law license — over lack of contrition for her past actions — she remined at the company for years. The alumni of the FBI’s Most Wanted List, who never showed much contrition in later years, also ended up teaching America’s youth as a law professor at Northwestern University.

And then there’s Susan Rosenberg. A member of M19CO, Rosenberg was an accomplice in one of the most notorious acts of that era’s terrorist wave: the 1981 Brink’s robbery, in which members of M19CO and the Black Liberation Army stole $1.6 million in cash from an armored truck, killing one of its guards and wounding another. Tracked down by police, the robbers killed two officers and wounded another.

Rosenberg did suffer consequences for the Brink’s murders, as well as her role in the 1981 U.S. Senate bombing. Arrested in 1984, she was sentenced to 58 years in prison but only served 16 of them behind bars. Bill Clinton pardoned her on his final day in office in 2001. Kathy Boudin, another participant in the robbery, was paroled soon after.

Yes, the left shamelessly rehabilitated its terrorists and cop-killers. But what can we learn from it?

What did they do later, you ask? Rosenberg, whose M19CO organization also broke serial cop-killer Assata Shakur out of prison in 1979, joined the board of directors of the Thousand Currents Foundation. The foundation played a leading role in getting Black Lives Matter off the ground. The same Black Lives Matter that sparked a season of rioting and violence in the summer of 2020. Those riots left 25 people dead and caused roughly $2 billion in property damage, proving that 1970s ideology is still more than capable of causing death and destruction.

As for Kathy Boudin, Columbia University granted her an adjunct professorship, because who's gonna stop them? Former left-wing terrorists get to be university professors and teach America’s kids. Those are the rules.

Speaking of Kathy Boudin, have you heard of her son, Chesa? He is the now-former district attorney of San Francisco, recalled from office in 2022 because his policy of letting repeat criminals out of jail was too much even for that notoriously progressive city. The scion of terrorists and bank robbers was, for a harrowing moment, in charge of the law.

Both of Chesa’s parents were incarcerated for their role in the deadly 1981 Brink’s robbery, but that didn’t spare him the fate of being raised by militants. The pair who stepped up to be his guardians were none other than Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.

The radical upbringing went as expected. Chesa may not share the tactics of his parents and guardians, but boy does he share their radicalism. Before he set his sights on freeing every felon in the Bay Area, Boudin worked for the socialist government of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, translating the regime’s propaganda into English.

Should we even be talking about Chesa? It’s wrong to tie children to the crimes of their parents, isn’t it? Of course it is — unless their parents are right-wing critics of Islam. Then, even if they’re completely apolitical themselves, they get doxxed by Taylor Lorenz and run out of their jobs.

Ah yes, the asymmetry of it all.

Supporters of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gather outside Manhattan Criminal Court.Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Forgiveness asymmetry laid bare

This brings us to the final, most essential point. It’s all very well to point and sputter. Yes, the left shamelessly rehabilitated its terrorists and cop-killers. But what can we learn from it?

The first is a warning from history. The radical left has no problem with violence. Leftists celebrated the murder of United Healthcare’s CEO. They celebrated the riots of 2020, even though dozens were killed. They celebrated the terrorism of the 1970s and ’80s and worked tirelessly to rehabilitate its perpetrators.

As a recent Pirate Wires story demonstrated, many on the left have no problem with terrorism if it’s used for a “good” cause. There are no principled restrictions on tactics, only targets.

But don’t take my word for it. Read Bill Ayers:

I’m no tactician, but I know that tactics are neutral in themselves — Nazi soldiers blowing up a bridge in occupied France to stop an Allied advance is despicable; partisans blowing up the bridge to prevent the Nazis from overwhelming a village and slaughtering its inhabitants is both defensible and righteous. So it is with insurrections: the goals and purposes matter. January 6, 2021 was a white supremacist insurrection against state power — part of a long American tradition that includes the secessionist insurrection of 1861, the uprising by the White League seeking to overthrow the biracial Reconstruction government of Louisiana in 1894, the violent toppling of the government in Wilmington North Carolina in 1898, and more. Each of these insurrections was in naked defense of white power. By contrast, the Haitian and Cuban revolutions, for example, were emancipatory insurrections designed to move human society forward.

The second thing to consider is how do we respond to these attitudes, which are apparently widespread in politics, the legacy media, and elite academic institutions?

As a bare minimum, we can stop playing their games.

Here’s a thought experiment: Consider the worst kind of right-wing behavior that might be uncovered about someone. Maybe the person dropped the N-word on a livestream. Maybe the person was a member of the Proud Boys or was arrested on Jan. 6, or dabbled in the alt-right in 2016. Maybe the person said something like “normalize Indian hate.”

Of course, it’s fine to disagree with all that. But before you jump behind a campaign to destroy their careers, consider the following: Is it as bad as blowing up government buildings? Is it as bad as murdering cops? Is it as bad as trying to overthrow the United States and replace it with a “decolonized” communist dystopia?

No?

Then I hope you’ll join me in disavowing cancel culture as we’ve come to know it. As Elon Musk said when he rehired DOGE staffer Marko Elez despite his unequivocally racist posts, “To err is human, to forgive divine.”

The thing about unequivocally racist posts is that they’re not bombs and they’re not bullets. And in a world where Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, and Kathy Boudin get to be college professors, Marko Elezabsolutely gets to be a DOGE staffer. After that, who knows? Maybe we can get him tenure somewhere.

Editor’s note: This article has been adapted from a post that appeared originally on X (formerly Twitter).

Will federal law enforcement treat Tesla attacks as terrorism?



Several Tesla vehicles caught fire early Tuesday morning at a service center in Las Vegas. Investigators believe the fire was intentional, and local law enforcement suspects an individual deliberately targeted the vehicles.

Authorities have not yet identified a motive, but the incident follows a pattern of vandalism against Tesla vehicles and dealerships nationwide. Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s close ties to President Donald Trump have made the company a proxy target for those expressing opposition to the administration.

The Trump administration must not dismiss the attacks on Tesla as petty acts of vandalism. These are warning signs of more serious domestic terrorism to come.

Dismissing these attacks as petty acts of vandalism would be a mistake. These are acts of political terrorism. If they go unpunished, progressive activists will only escalate their tactics.

For many, the Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots served as a wake-up call, exposing a breakdown in law and order. The destruction of property and attacks on individuals made it clear that violence had become an accepted political tool. The shock came not just from the riots themselves but from the support they received from elected officials and law enforcement.

Political terrorism has long been a tactic of the left, emerging at key moments to push its agenda forward. A near-monopoly on media and education has allowed progressives to rewrite history, erasing their movement’s violent past. But this is nothing new, and if serious action is not taken, more terrorism will follow.

The Civil Rights Movement is often remembered as a series of peaceful protests that led to major social change. While many activists did engage in nonviolent demonstrations that won public sympathy, violence was also a significant feature of the era. The Harlem riots of 1964, the Los Angeles riots of 1965, and the Detroit and Newark riots of 1967 illustrate this reality. Following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, riots erupted in more than 100 American cities between 1968 and 1969. Because the movement is judged favorably, these acts of political violence are rarely discussed. Yet, they played a crucial role in shaping the period — including contributing to the election of Richard Nixon.

In 1969, future Barack Obama mentor Bill Ayers co-founded the Weather Underground, a leftist terrorist group. This revolutionary Marxist organization helped instigate the “Days of Rage” riots in Chicago and carried out bombings at the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, the California attorney general’s office, and a New York police station. Despite their violent history, several members of the group later secured prestigious academic positions.

Leftist political violence did not end in the 1960s. The Miami riots of 1980, the Los Angeles riots of 1992, the Cincinnati riots of 2001, and the Ferguson riots of 2014 show that it remains a recurring feature of American politics. The pattern is predictable: The media frames a justifying narrative, progressive activists coordinate the unrest, and political pressure ensures few, if any, perpetrators face consequences. The American left has long treated violence as a legitimate tool of persuasion — and expects to use it without accountability.

After the mob violence of 2020, victorious Democrats shifted from their usual blend of soft power and plausible deniability to overt authoritarian tactics. The Biden administration directed the FBI to investigate parents protesting at school board meetings and Catholics attending Latin Mass. The Justice Department pushed for excessive sentences against January 6 protesters and even prosecuted a man for posting memes mocking Hillary Clinton.

Democrats also attempted to bankrupt Donald Trump, remove him from the ballot, and ultimately imprison him. When these efforts failed, they escalated their tactics, leading to multiple assassination attempts. Their political violence culminated in the injury of the soon-to-be president and the tragic death of firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died protecting others.

Democrats have suffered defeat on every level. Their party’s approval ratings continue to decline, their policies repel voters, and they lost both the Electoral College and the popular vote in the last election. Frustrated and desperate, progressives have returned to their most reliable strategy: political violence.

Some conservatives dismiss the recent vandalism and destruction targeting Tesla as minor property crimes, but these incidents do not exist in a vacuum. They are part of a broader pattern of escalating violence from a movement that refuses to accept political losses.

The left has already embraced and celebrated political assassination over the past year. Many celebrities and political commentators openly voiced frustration that an assassin’s bullet narrowly missed killing Donald Trump on live television. Meanwhile, an entire subculture of admirers has formed around Luigi Mangione, who allegedly assassinated the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Progressives, consumed by desperation and rage, are lashing out at anyone and anything they perceive as political opposition.

Political violence in the United States must be met with zero tolerance. For too long, the left has enjoyed the ability to use violence as a political tool, relying on its media monopoly to shield perpetrators from legal and political consequences. Progressives have already escalated their tactics to assassination, successfully killing multiple victims.

The Trump administration must not dismiss the attacks on Tesla as petty acts of vandalism. These are warning signs of more serious domestic terrorism to come. Federal law enforcement must act swiftly. If any leftist organization played a role in planning or facilitating these attacks, it should be treated as a domestic terror threat. Authorities must act decisively against violent extremists now — or risk emboldening them to commit even worse crimes in the future.

Guest sneaks out of wedding to blow up newlyweds' home; explosion displaces 11 families: 'I ran here in my wedding dress'



An Illinois man snuck out of a wedding to blow up the home of the newlyweds, and the explosion was so devastating that it displaced 11 families and killed six cats belonging to the bride, according to police.

Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos had their wedding on Feb. 15. After the couple said "I do," they learned of the tragedy of their Cicero home being obliterated in an explosion.

'On what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, the Vrettos family, including newlyweds Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos, experienced an unimaginable tragedy.'

Around 4:50 p.m. — just 10 minutes before the end of the wedding ceremony — Vrettos started getting calls about the explosion.

“We weren’t sure if it was us, obviously, either way, we were devastated to know it was near us,” Vrettos told WGN-TV. “My niece left the church. She confirmed that, yes, it was our house.”

Vrettos told WSAV-TV, "I ran here in my wedding dress, like down the alley, and was watching from a neighbor’s yard. Everything was just smoke at that point."

All of the family members who lived in the home weren't in it during the explosion because they all were at the wedding. However, Vrettos' six cats were killed.

"There was no way my babies made it out in that instant," Vrettos said. "While my first instinct was to run to the rubble to search for my angels, we obviously were told we couldn't be there, and there was nothing to be done."

The explosion and fire damaged two nearby buildings, and 11 families were displaced. Temporary housing has been provided to all of the families.

Surveillance cameras from nearby homes and businesses caught the moment the house exploded. The cameras also captured suspicious happenings just before the explosion.

The day after the explosion, a dead body was found in the rubble.

On Saturday, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as 31-year-old Anthony Avila-Puebla.

Investigators said Avila-Puebla was a guest at the wedding but snuck out at some point.

Surveillance video reportedly shows Avila-Puebla parking his car a half-block from the house. Avila-Puebla allegedly is seen in the video carrying jugs of flammable liquid to the house. He reportedly made two more trips to his vehicle to retrieve more jugs.

Police said he set fire to the two-story house but never came back outside.

Detectives reportedly discovered that Avila-Puebla had a relationship with one of the people who lived in the home and was at the ceremony.

Police said the motive behind the explosion is still unclear, and an investigation is ongoing.

'I truly have no idea what we are going to do when it comes to the near future because there is so much at play with the unknown.'

The house had been Vrettos' childhood home, and she recently moved back into it with her husband to start their new life.

"The building belonged to my family for almost 40 years. Yeah, I grew up here, so I live, lived here, and I work in the community. And I mean, Cicero is all I really know," Vrettos told WLS-TV.

Vrettos and her brother recently took ownership of the home after it had been in their mother's name.

The pair was planning to help make renovations on the home, including repairing some "long overdue" issues.

What's more, the brother and sister were in the process of transferring home insurance and did not have coverage at the time of the explosion and fire.

"Recently, my brother and I had transferred the home ownership from our mom to us, and we had not yet secured home insurance. Call it irresponsible if you will and shame us for that mistake, but we can’t undo our error," Vrettos explained. "I truly have no idea what we are going to do when it comes to the near future because there is so much at play with the unknown."

A GoFundMe campaign recently was launched to help the couple rebuild the home.

"On what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, the Vrettos family, including newlyweds Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos, experienced an unimaginable tragedy," the campaign description on the crowdfunding site reads. "While celebrating Tom and Eleni’s wedding ceremony, their home in Cicero, Illinois, was completely destroyed in a devastating fire."

"This home was more than just a house — it was where Eleni grew up, where she and Tom had moved in to start their new life together, and where the family had built countless memories over the years," the campaign states. "Now, they have lost everything — their belongings, their keepsakes, and the place they called home."

The GoFundMe says they "have no coverage to help them recover from this devastating loss."

At the time of publication, the GoFundMe had raised nearly $60,000.

WLS-TV covered the explosion on a recent newscast.

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Male drives 700 miles to set fire to home of man talking to ex-girlfriend; 6 escape by 'miracle,' but family dogs die: Cops



A male from Michigan drove more than 700 miles to set fire to the southeastern Pennsylvania home of a man who was having an online relationship with his ex-girlfriend, police said. The inferno nearly killed six people and left two family dogs dead.

Harrison Jones — a 21-year-old from Rockford, Michigan — has been charged with six counts of attempted criminal homicide, arson, risking catastrophe, and related offenses.

'As the suspect vehicle fled the area, smoke could be seen billowing up from the rear yard of the home, and within 30 seconds a large explosion was observed, and the house became engulfed in flames.'

Around 5:22 a.m. on Feb. 10, the Bensalem Township Police and the Bensalem Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire at a two-story home. Bensalem is about a half hour northeast of Philadelphia.

Six adults were forced to flee from the burning home — some of whom had to jump out of windows on the second floor to escape the fire. All six residents were transported to a nearby hospital with injuries.

Two family dogs died in the fire.

Police said the fire resulted in a "total loss" of the home.

"It’s a miracle they all survived," Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey said during a Monday press conference. "And we credit the mother of that house for taking the actions she did to protect her family and ensure that they all lived."

Authorities launched an investigation into the fire, which was believed to have been "intentionally set and incendiary in nature."

Detectives obtained surveillance footage from a camera at a nearby residence, which reportedly showed a black sedan in the area at 5:01 a.m.

The Bensalem Police Department said in a statement: "A subject exits the vehicle with an object and walks towards the residence. After approximately 15 minutes, the subject appears to run back to his waiting vehicle and departs the area" on Mallard Drive toward Portside Drive.

"As the suspect vehicle fled the area, smoke could be seen billowing up from the rear yard of the home, and within 30 seconds, a large explosion was observed, and the house became engulfed in flames," police stated.

Investigators utilized intersection surveillance cameras to identify the suspicious black sedan — a 2021 black Volkswagen Passat. An automated license plate reader revealed that the vehicle was registered in Michigan.

During interviews with the residents of the destroyed home, they discovered that a 21-year-old man was having an online relationship with a woman from Michigan. The man told detectives that the woman was supposed to come to Bensalem to meet in person this month.

Citing court documents, WTXF-TV reported that Jones was supposed to drive his ex-girlfriend to meet the Pennsylvania man. However, investigators said Jones drove to Bensalem on his own with "murderous intentions."

Harrison JonesImage source: Kent County (Mich.) Sheriff's Office

Detectives with the Bensalem Police Department contacted officers with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan, who then obtained a search warrant for a local residence.

Police said they confronted Jones — who "had what appeared to be burns on his arm." There reportedly was a 2021 black Volkswagen Passat at the residence.

Investigators said Jones is the ex-boyfriend of the Michigan woman who had been talking to the Pennsylvania man.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jones on Feb. 12, according to jail records.

Jones is currently awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.

The Bensalem Police Department said Jones "traveled over 700 miles and 11+ hours each way to commit crimes that nearly cost six people their lives." Police labeled Jones' alleged actions as "heinous acts."

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said, "This is a family’s worst nightmare to be asleep in their home, not knowing that a stranger broke into their home, and attempted to take their lives by setting their home on fire. This family suffered such inconceivable loss. This defendant’s actions are incomprehensible, and he will be held accountable."

You can view a video report here about the fire.

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Watch 'furious' California residents tackle, detain suspected arsonist: 'Wrong neighborhood, buddy'



Video shows a group of concerned citizens in California chase down, tackle, and detain a man suspected of committing arson, according to multiple reports.

Around 4:32 p.m. on Monday, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office received reports that a man set a fire in a neighborhood outside of Los Angeles.

'When deputies searched the suspect, they found a lighter in his pocket, a small sum of cash, and a car battery jumper kit.'

Several people were seen on video chasing down the arson suspect in the neighborhood of Chatsworth — roughly 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Brandon Taylor — a photographer with Traffic News LA — captured footage of the tense situation.

Taylor told KTTV that the arson suspect was behaving suspiciously.

"It just seemed a little strange that there was a guy there after a brush fire was reported just a quarter-mile up the road," Taylor said. "And he's in the bush doing something."

Taylor continued, "The residents were furious. They've gone through the Woolsey Fire, which started just a mile from there. With all the dry vegetation, they were really concerned about him starting another fire and losing their homes."

Video journalist Gabe Cortez was also at the chaotic scene and shared footage of the confrontation on Instagram.

Cortez told the Los Angeles Times about the arson suspect, "He was avoiding the group following him. He seemed to be telling them to pass him up. And then you can see in my video that someone started to chase him, and he appeared scared.”

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "The witnesses pointed to the suspect and told deputies they witnessed him lighting a brush fire near Knapp Ranch Road and Woolsey Canyon Road. The witnesses stated the suspect lit the fire and left the location. The witnesses followed in their vehicle."

Officers with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office quickly responded to arrest the arson suspect.

While police officers were handcuffing the suspect, a woman is heard on video telling Martinez: "Wrong neighborhood, buddy."

Police identified the suspect as 41-year-old Alejandro Martinez.

Authorities said there was already a warrant out for Martinez’s arrest but did not provide any specifics.

KTTV reported, "When deputies searched Martinez, they found a lighter in his pocket, a small sum of cash, and a car battery jumper kit."

Martinez is facing a felony charge of arson of a structure or forest and one count of aggravated circumstance of increasing seriousness of prior convictions. If convicted of all charges, Martinez reportedly faces up to six years and eight months in prison.

Martinez is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.

Authorities said there was a fire burning near the location where Martinez was apprehended.

The fire burned about a 100-square-foot area of brush before being extinguished by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Cortez noted, "Thank God there were no strong winds, because it could have gone so much worse. Given all the recent fires, communities and people are just so much more aware of these types of things now, and they’re on high alert."

KNBC-TV reported that the suspect attempted to light two fires near Box Canyon in Canoga Park.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement, “As we continue to recover from the devastation of recent wildfires, this case is a stark reminder of the grave threat alleged arsonists pose to our communities. We have seen firsthand the destruction, displacement, and loss of life caused by these senseless acts. Let me be clear — if you intentionally set fire to our land, endanger our residents, and threaten our first responders, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

An investigation has been launched by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Arson/Explosive Unit.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Arson/Explosive Unit at (323) 881-7500.

KTLA reported that Martinez is the 27th suspect charged in cases related to the wildfires in Southern California.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, only the Palisades fire is currently smoldering, but it is reportedly 100% contained. The blaze – which first started nearly a month ago – has killed 12 people, destroyed 6,831 structures, and scorched 23,707 acres.

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4 arrested on arson charges in Los Angeles area; death toll from California fires rises to 26



Police in California have arrested four suspects accused of committing arson in four separate alleged incidents as the Los Angeles area is being ravaged by wildfires.

On Monday afternoon, police responded to 911 calls regarding a possible arson suspect accused of setting brush on fire in the Los Angeles suburb of West Valley. The suspect was arrested and booked into the Van Nuys jail.

'We're asking all members of our community to join us in this effort by reviewing your personal security footage.'

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated, "Officers responded to a radio call of an arson suspect at the location, who had ignited a nearby trash can, which was extinguished by the L.A. City Fire Department."

McDonnell continued, “Citizens directed the officers to the suspect location where he was then taken into custody without incident. Video from local businesses showed footage of the suspect starting fires in that area. He was booked into our jail for arson.”

On Sunday night, residents of North Hollywood notified police of a possible arson suspect.

McDonnell said during a news conference that the suspect was accused of using a barbecue lighter to spark fires in the area.

Police arrested the suspect for an outstanding felony warrant for arson, and he also was booked into the Van Nuys jail.

Around 11:37 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched in response to a reported brushfire. A witness told officers on the scene that a person ignited the fire.

Azusa Police Department said in a statement, "Officers located the adult male suspect, identified as Jose Carranza-Escobar, a transient, with a last known address in Azusa, standing next to the flames."

Police said Carranza-Escobar "admitted to starting the fire" when they interrogated him.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Carranza-Escobar was charged with one count each of felony arson, arson during a state of emergency, and attempted arson.

On Wednesday, a female suspect was arrested for allegedly starting a brushfire near Leo Carrillo State Park in Los Angeles County.

California State Parks said in a statement that 60-year-old Gloria Lynn Mandich was booked into Ventura County Jail and hit with a felony charge of arson.

What else?

On Thursday, residents of the Woodland Hills neighborhood detained a man allegedly holding a "blowtorch" near the area of the Kenneth fire.

Police arrived and detained the man on suspicion of arson, but the charge was dismissed because officials said they lacked probable cause to arrest him on arson charges. The suspect — 33-year-old Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva — was being detained on a felony probation violation, Los Angeles police said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that Sierra-Leyva is a "Mexican national who entered the U.S. unlawfully at an unknown date and location without inspection by an immigration official."

Chief McDonnell is asking the public to be vigilant and review their videos to identify any arsonists.

McDonnell said at a news conference, "We're asking all members of our community to join us in this effort by reviewing your personal security footage. Whether from Ring cameras, home security systems, or any other recording devices, even seemingly small details can make a big difference in our ongoing investigations."

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that more than 40,000 acres have been burned and over 12,300 structures have been destroyed.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reportedly has arrested 39 people in alleged crimes related to the wildfires. Meanwhile, the LAPD recently has arrested 14 people.

The LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have increased patrols in the areas devastated by the fires. LAPD said it will deploy around 750 officers to those areas.

As Blaze News previously reported, several were arrested for looting and three were arrested related to unauthorized drone usage that affected firefighting aircraft.

According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, there have been 26 deaths related to the California wildfires as of Jan. 14.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that more than 40,000 acres have been burned and over 12,300 structures have been destroyed.

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Wildfire Looters Show LA’s Law & Order DA Faces ‘Uphill Battle’ In Changing ‘Culture Of Lawlessness’

Los Angeles County DA Nathan Hochman is setting the right tone, but he's dealing with so much damage left by leftist Gascón .

Arson suspect arrested near deadly Eaton fire; David Spade offers $5,000 reward to anyone who catches California arsonists



Thanks to a tip from California firefighters, police arrested a man suspected of committing arson near a deadly Los Angeles-area blaze. Meanwhile, comedian David Spade is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who catches an arsonist.

Around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department were extinguishing a small brushfire when they allegedly spotted a man actively lighting fires in Irwindale — roughly 13 miles from the Eaton fire.

'So keep your eyes peeled. Do what you can out there.'

The Irwindale Police Department said in a statement, "While on scene, LACOFD personnel observed a suspect actively lighting fires in the area."

Officers responded to the incident and arrested 29-year-old Ruben Montes — a resident of Baldwin Park, which is about a half-hour east of Los Angeles. Montes was charged with arson.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the Eaton fire had burned 14,117 acres, destroyed or damaged over 7,000 structures, and was 33% contained. To combat the Eaton fire, 3,408 personnel, 16 helicopters, 375 engines, 29 dozers, and 90 water tenders were deployed.

The Eaton fire has taken the lives of 16 people, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. Another eight people died from the Pacific Palisades fire, which has scorched 23,713 acres and damaged or destroyed an estimated 5,000 structures, according to Cal Fire. The Palisades fire has been only 14% contained.

Officials are still investigating what caused the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires.

Comedian David Spade is offering a reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of arsonists in California.

The “Saturday Night Live” alum stated in an Instagram video, “I’m out in California and people are saying guys are lighting fires out there to make this s**t worse."

The comedic actor continued, "They just caught somebody we’re pretty sure was lighting fires walking along with a blowtorch. They let him go."

Local residents apprehended the suspect with a blowtorch in the area of the Kenneth fire less than an hour after the blaze started

Police arrived and detained the man on suspicion of arson, but the charge was dismissed because officials said they lacked probable cause to arrest him on arson charges. The suspect — Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva — was being detained on a felony probation violation, the Los Angeles Police Department stated.

The Daily Mail and the New York Post reported that the man is an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

Spade told his 3.2 million followers on Instagram, "So if you can find somebody lighting a fire and you catch somebody, and you get the cops to bust them and throw them in jail, I’ll give you 5,000 bucks. So keep your eyes peeled. Do what you can out there.”

Spade stressed, "Don’t fake it, though. No staging. Let me know."

Spade isn't the only celebrity to suspect that arsonists are involved in the devastating California fires.

"THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA,” actor Henry Winkler wrote on the X social media platform.

Conditions for wildfires are expected to continue to be extremely dangerous. The National Weather Service on Monday said, "Dangerous situation expected as Critical to Extreme fire-weather conditions develop across parts of southern California today into Tuesday."

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Father accused of setting house on fire with his 3 children inside



A Texas father accused of setting a house on fire with his three children inside has been charged with attempted murder.

Fulshear Police said a Nov. 6 house fire in the 31000 block of Eldorado Lane in the Polo Ranch Community led to the arrest of Pedro Luis Parra Pulgar, 46, who was charged with intentionally setting the fire while his three children were inside. Fulshear is about 40 minutes west of Houston.

'How evil do you have to be? He should never breathe free air again.'

Police said the suspect's extensive injuries sustained in the fire resulted in an extended stay in a hospital; he was released Thursday and taken to the Fort Bend County Jail, where he faces three counts of Attempted Murder.

Judge Argie Brame of the 434th Associate District Court set bond at $750,000 for each Attempted Murder charge, totaling $2.25 million, police added.

In the fire, two children managed to escape with minor injuries — but a 3-year-old was trapped inside, police said.

Officers heard faint sounds in the home, quickly entered through a bedroom window, and rescued the child, who was suffering from severe smoke inhalation, police said.

The child was airlifted to a hospital, received treatment, and has since been released, police said.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

How are people reacting?

The police department's Facebook post about the arrest has attracted over 300 comments, with many of them praising police for rescuing the trapped child. Others expressed anger at the suspect:

  • "He deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail," one commenter said.
  • "How evil do you have to be? He should never breathe free air again. I really hope these kids are with someone who loves them and cares for them so they can heal," another user stated.
  • "How does this happen[?] How does someone become so twisted as to believe this is an acceptable behavior? How worthless does someone need to be?" another commenter wondered.
  • "Hope he rots in prison," another user wrote.

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Suspected arson fires torch perhaps hundreds of ballots in drop boxes in Pacific Northwest



Hundreds of ballots likely went up in flames after an explosive device apparently went off in a ballot drop box in Washington state, one of two such explosions that occurred early Monday morning.

Around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, police began working tirelessly to put out a fire in a ballot box near a bus station in Vancouver, Washington. Video of their efforts shows crews toiling in the pouring rain as the contents of the ballot box were reduced to ashes.

— (@)

"It appears that a device was attached to the outside of the ballot drop box that resulted in the ballots being ignited," Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey said, according to Oregon Live.

The ballot box was outfitted with a fire suppressant, Kimsey noted. Unfortunately, it did not work effectively.

When asked how many ballots were affected, Kimsey declined to give an exact number but claimed it was in the "hundreds."

Kimsey described the incident as "heartbreaking." "It’s a direct attack on democracy," he added.

Police likewise described the device as "suspicious."

'Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence.'

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) suggested the incident may have even been an act of "terror."

"I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state," he said in a statement, according to ABC News.

The drop box is located in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, where Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) and Republican Joe Kent are in a tight rematch. In 2022, Perez beat Kent by fewer than 3,000 votes.

"Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence," Perez said in a statement, according to ABC News.

Kent's team did not respond to a request for comment, the outlet claimed.

Ballots at the drop box were last collected around 11 a.m. on Saturday, so anyone who deposited a ballot after that time is encouraged to check the status of their ballot online. They may also contact the county elections office to receive a replacement ballot by calling (564) 397-2345 or emailing elections@clark.wa.gov.

Sadly, the drop box in Vancouver was not the only one in the area to be hit. About two hours before the incident in Vancouver, an "incendiary device" exploded in a drop box in Portland, a press release from the Portland Police Bureau indicated. Portland, Oregon, is located about 10 miles south of Vancouver, Washington.

Fortunately, a fire suppressant installed in the Portland ballot box activated, preventing a significant fire. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott claimed that only three ballots had been damaged and that elections workers had already made plans to contact the affected voters.

"By the time officers arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by security personnel who work in the area," the PPB press release said. "Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to ignite the fire. PPB’s Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) responded to the scene and cleared the device."

It is unclear whether the two incidents are linked.

Yet another incendiary device was discovered at a drop box in Vancouver on October 8. Luckily, it did not cause any damage.

A man also allegedly admitted to lighting a fire in a ballot box in Phoenix last week, destroying perhaps 20 ballots, as Blaze News previously reported. The suspect denied having any political motivation, claiming instead that he "wanted to be arrested."

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