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A Los Angeles man accused of plotting a “mass incident” at a Jewish preschool using Molotov cocktails has been nabbed by the FBI, as his mother describes his dramatic downward spiral.
Steven Duenas, 51, is accused of making threats against Jews on social media and possessing a combination of parts designed and intended to make a Molotov cocktail, according to federal prosecutors. He was arrested Oct. 2.
The Los Feliz resident allegedly targeted nearby Jewish preschool Jems, where he planned to carry out a “mass incident,” prosecutors said.
In posts on X dated Sept. 19, Duenas displayed what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail in front of a TV screen showing 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.
“Goy” refers to a non-Jewish person, while “de ley” is an expression meaning loyal or reliable, according to the complaint against Duenas.
Later that day a second post displayed a glass bottle and said, “Second cocktail of the night 271K max cocktail.”
A video posted to Duenas’ account that same day showed what appeared to be Molotov cocktail ingredients as R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” played in the background.
The post read: “It’s the end of Los Feliz as you know it, and I feel fine. I love my homies… The Houthis.”
Other antisemitic posts attributed to Duenas included “Not enough synagogues have been burned down” and “I just acquired some Tomahawks from Facebook Marketplace, might bomb Jems later.”
Duenas appeared in court shortly after his arrest, shackled and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, tears streaming down his face.
At one point the judge asked whether he wanted to postpone the proceedings until he could regain his composure. Duenas said he was ready to continue.
As he left the bail hearing, he mouthed the words “I love you” to his Mom, Maria Duenas, who was sitting in the gallery and was handcuffed alongside her son when the FBI raided the residence they share at 4:30 a.m.
Maria spoke exclusively with The Post and described her son’s life as one turned upside down by a divorce, his firing from his LA County job, and a heavy dose 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,” the mother said.
Losing his job working for LA County, a long distance marriage, and eventually a divorce led to Duena’s prescription drug addiction, his mom says.
After his arrest she found “barrels of alcohol, he had been drinking and taking hundreds of bottles of meds, he was out of his mind,” Duenas said.
When asked if her son had something against Jewish people she answered: “Steven has always been respectful of others, he was not brought up that way. We pray and we help, that’s my motto.”
The mother went on to say that at one point they had Jewish neighbors “that weren’t very nice”, and that there was a dispute about a shared fence but Steven “never spoke of it, it doesn’t fit.”
When asked about the FBI finding Molotov cocktails in her home, she teared up, “that’s the worst part of it. I can’t believe it.”
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.
