The FBI has arrested a 51-year-old Los Angeles man accused of planning a “mass incident” at a Jewish preschool with Molotov cocktails, as his mother says his life deteriorated dramatically in the years before his arrest.
Steven Duenas, of Los Feliz, allegedly posted threats against Jewish people on social media and possessed materials prosecutors say were assembled and intended for use in a Molotov cocktail. Federal authorities arrested him Oct. 2.
According to prosecutors, Duenas allegedly targeted Jems, a Jewish preschool located near his home, where he was said to be planning a “mass incident.”
In posts published on X on Sept. 19, Duenas appeared to display a Molotov cocktail in front of a television showing footage of the burning World Trade Center.
“1st batch- Goy De Ley’ cocktail. Don’t simply watch the war, participate by enjoying a Goy De Let cocktail,” he wrote.
The federal complaint states that “goy” refers to a non-Jewish person, while “de ley” is an expression associated with someone loyal or dependable.
A second post later that day showed a glass bottle and was captioned, “Second cocktail of the night 271K max cocktail.”
Another video posted to the account appeared to show ingredients used to make a Molotov cocktail 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 the statements, “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 was taken from the bail hearing, Duenas mouthed “I love you” to his mother, Maria Duenas. She had been sitting in the courtroom gallery and was handcuffed alongside her son when FBI agents raided the home they share at 4:30 a.m.
In an exclusive interview with The Post, Maria said her son’s life unraveled following a divorce, the loss of his job with Los Angeles County, and what she described as extensive use of prescription drugs and alcohol.
“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,” she said.
Maria 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” in the home. “He had been drinking and taking hundreds of bottles of meds, he was out of his mind,” Duenas said.
Asked whether her son harbored animosity toward Jewish people, Maria replied: “Steven has always been respectful of others, he was not brought up that way. We pray and we help, that’s my motto.”
She recalled that the family had once lived near Jewish neighbors who “weren’t very nice” and had a dispute over a shared fence. But she said Steven “never spoke of it” and that such an explanation “doesn’t fit.”
When asked about the FBI’s discovery of Molotov cocktails in 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.
