Hey L.A. -- You Call This "Sanctuary"?

For who, exactly?

Jan 14, 2025

During a non-fatal shooting investigation in the Bronx that I was involved in, we had reached the end of the road with our investigation. As with most shootings, the victim was not cooperative. It makes a collar quite difficult and a prosecution even harder. We knew who did it, or at least were pretty sure, but couldn’t get to the probable cause required to make an arrest.

The suspect was on probation, which gave us a little bit of leverage on him. Detectives brought the perp in for a conversation -– perhaps he would give it up. No dice. But in their conversation, the perp mentioned that he wanted to move to Virginia to be with his girlfriend and kids. His probation status required him to stay in New York.

Someone had the bright idea of requesting that his probation be transferred to Virginia. I didn’t even know that you could do that! His Probation Officer was contacted, Virginia probation was conferred with, and a week later my man was on a bus to Virginia. Bon Voyagee! as a notable cartoon rabbit would say. That worked out well for everyone, including the perp.

That story came to mind while reading about another perp, Mexico’s own Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, who was observed torching old Christmas trees and debris in Los Angeles’ West Hills neighborhood. Witnesses grabbed Sierra-Leyva and held him for the cops.

Unfortunately, the District Attorney’s office wasn’t able to charge him at the time. Perhaps it is because the California Penal Code describes arson as:

A person is guilty of arson when he or she willfully and maliciously sets fire to or burns or causes to be burned or who aids, counsels, or procures the burning of, any structure, forest land, or property.

Discarded Christmas trees and debris don’t fit the statute.

But this was not Sierra-Leyva’s first run in with the law. He was on probation for a past crime – one that LA officials would not disclose for some reason (a past arson perhaps?). In fact, he appears to have been arrested on 4 occasions in Los Angeles County alone.

Sierra-Leyva is an illegal immigrant. ICE placed a detainer on him after his most recent arrest. However, unlike our shooting perp who was sent to Virginia, Los Angeles doesn’t have the option of sending him out of town. They can’t initiate his deportation back to Mexico. Can’t communicate with ICE.

(U.S. ICE: Help us help you!)

That is the fault of the asinine sanctuary city policy. Now residents of Los Angeles have to face the very real possibility of Mr. Sierra-Leyva being released back into the community. Right now, he is being held on a violation of his probation, but that is a tenuous charge, rarely resulting in jail time. Quite frankly, we are surprised he isn’t out right now. If California politicians weren’t in panic mode, he almost certainly would be.

There is a reason for a sanctuary city policy. We don’t want people who are victims of serious crimes not coming forward due to fears of deportation. We don’t want people with serious, transmittable diseases staying out of hospitals due to immigration status. And we probably don’t want people pulled over for running a red light engaging in flights from, or fights with, cops because they fear they will end up in deportation proceedings.

(Illegals with blowtorches. What could go wrong?)

But situations like that of Mr. Sierra-Leyva are intolerable. At the least, there is a middle road that should be taken: serious criminals in this country illegally should not be given sanctuary. They should be given an expedited trip back to their country of origin. And if they return to the United States, they should be put in prison.

We should not and cannot tolerate people like Mr. Sierra-Leyva -- and there are many. It’s time for voters to wake up to this reality and demand common sense from politicians.

California and Los Angeles will have some new faces in charge soon, as incompetents like Bass and Newsom are inevitably shown the door. But that should be just the beginning. American voters: send elected officials that favor sanctuary policies a message that this little experiment is over.

And by the way: it had to be the left that not only invented the policy but the term: “sanctuary cities,” indeed.

How about “scofflaw cities”? Because that’s a far more accurate description of what they do.

The case began on Friday, November 29, just after Thanksgiving, when successful 68-year-old Houston attorney Michael Howard discovered that his Kubota tractor and trailer had been stolen from his weekend home in Sabine Pass, Texas. He promptly reported the theft to the police, but without surveillance footage or substantial evidence, there was little they could do to pursue the case.

The responding officer gave Howard his business card, assuming it would be their last interaction. However, just a few days later, Howard called the police again—this time with a far more serious matter.

On Monday, December 2, Howard contacted the police with a shocking claim: he had accidentally shot his son, mistaking him for an intruder on his property.

When police arrived at the scene, however, they immediately noticed several unsettling details that didn’t align with Howard’s claim of an accidental shooting. Something was… off.

We better start from the beginning.

Howard and his 20-year-old son Mark, who had Down Syndrome but was “high functioning,” arrived at the Sabine house on Thursday, November 28 by themselves. On Friday, Howard reports his tractor and trailer stolen. Then two days later, Howard claims, he mistakes his son for an intruder and shoots him.

However, Howard did not call the police right away. Instead, authorities believe he first used a pressure washer to clean up the blood from the shooting, then placed his son's body in the front-loading bucket of a backhoe tractor and transported it to a remote area on his property, more than a mile from the house.

Howard then placed the body in a wood pile, which police suspect was arranged beforehand. He then proceeded to cremate his son, a decision Howard later claimed was “what his son would have wanted,” according to Houston Public Media.

As the night went on, Howard called his eldest son and his wife, but did not contact the police until 2 p.m. the following day.

(The accused: Houston attorney Michael Howard)

Following the call, Texas police obtained a search warrant for the entire property and recovered charred bones, including a jawbone and teeth, which were sent to the Jefferson County medical examiner's office. Howard also handed over the shotgun used to kill his son, reiterating that "it was all a terrible mistake."

The police are not buying it. Howard is currently facing charges of murder, mishandling a corpse, and tampering with evidence at a crime scene.

According to investigators, “Howard committed the act and then in furtherance of that, burned the body and cleaned the crime scene, which as an investigator, I would take as indicative of nefarious purposes.”

But will that “indication” be enough to prove that it all wasn’t just “a terrible mistake”?

Howard was originally held in Sabine County Jail on a $20 million bond, but a district judge lowered it to $1 million and Howard bonded out. He’s required to wear an ankle monitor and has surrendered his passport.

He and his family have yet to comment on the matter, and a trial seems likely.

The questions I have:

Is the alleged theft of the tractor somehow related to the killing?
Why didn’t Howard call the police right away?
What did he tell his family had happened when he called them?
What was his son’s recent health history? Was his son’s Down Syndrome diagnosis a factor?
Why did Howard burn the body? Were there other injuries this experienced attorney was trying to cover up?

What an utterly bizarre case.

Stay tuned. We will be.