A 51-year-old Los Angeles man accused of planning a “mass incident” at a Jewish preschool with Molotov cocktails has been arrested by the FBI. His mother says his life had deteriorated dramatically before the alleged plot came to light.
Steven Duenas, of Los Feliz, faces allegations that he threatened Jewish people on social media and possessed materials prosecutors say were assembled and intended for use in a Molotov cocktail. Federal agents arrested him Oct. 2.
According to prosecutors, Duenas allegedly focused on Jems, a Jewish preschool near his home, where he planned to carry out what he called a “mass incident.”
In posts published on X on Sept. 19, Duenas shared an image of what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail positioned in front of a television showing the World Trade Center engulfed in flames.
“1st batch- Goy De Ley’ cocktail. Don’t simply watch the war, participate by enjoying a Goy De Let cocktail,” he wrote.
The complaint says “goy” is a term for a non-Jewish person, while “de ley” refers to someone or something considered loyal or dependable.
A second post made later that day showed a glass bottle and carried the caption: “Second cocktail of the night 271K max cocktail.”
In another video posted to the account that day, items that appeared to be ingredients for a Molotov cocktail were shown while R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” played in the background.
The accompanying message read: “It’s the end of Los Feliz as you know it, and I feel fine. I love my homies… The Houthis.”
Other posts attributed to Duenas included antisemitic statements such as “Not enough synagogues have been burned down” and “I just acquired some Tomahawks from Facebook Marketplace, might bomb Jems later.”
Duenas appeared in court soon after his arrest, wearing jeans and a T-shirt and shackled as tears ran down his face.
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The judge asked whether he wanted to delay the hearing until he had regained his composure. Duenas replied that he was prepared to proceed.
As he left the bail hearing, Duenas mouthed “I love you” to his mother, Maria Duenas. She was seated in the gallery and had been handcuffed with her son when FBI agents raided their shared home at 4:30 a.m.
Maria told The Post that her son’s life unraveled after a divorce, the loss of his job with Los Angeles County and what she described as extensive prescription drug and alcohol use.
“He was sweet, kind, he went to a good school, he was always smiling. I made sure he dressed well, he attended mass and was an altar boy,” his mother said.
She said the combination of losing his county job, maintaining a long-distance marriage and eventually going through a divorce contributed to Duenas’ addiction to prescription medication.
After his arrest, she said, she discovered “barrels of alcohol” and found that he had been drinking and taking hundreds of pills. “He was out of his mind,” Duenas said.
Asked whether her son harbored hostility toward Jewish people, Maria rejected the suggestion. “Steven has always been respectful of others, he was not brought up that way. We pray and we help, that’s my motto,” she said.
She recalled that the family once had Jewish neighbors who “weren’t very nice” and that a disagreement arose over a shared fence. But, she said, Steven “never spoke of it” and the alleged conduct “doesn’t fit.”
When asked about the FBI’s discovery of Molotov cocktails at the home, Maria became emotional. “That’s the worst part of it. I can’t believe it,” she said.
Duenas says she’s not making excuses for her son’s behavior and hopes he gets help. “I know that he is sorry, he wasn’t himself. I’d like him to go to a clinic and clean up, to truly repent and find peace,” she said.
Her son is expected back in court November 10th.