Draft:Jonathan Rinderknecht
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Jonathan Rinderknecht (born c. 1996) is an American man charged with federal arson in connection with the Palisades Fire of January 2025. He has pleaded not guilty. His trial began on June 9, 2026, in Los Angeles.[1][2]
Background
[edit]Rinderknecht, previously lived in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and worked as an Uber driver.[3] After the fire he relocated to Melbourne, Florida, where he was arrested on October 7, 2025.[4][5]
Palisades Fire
[edit]The Palisades Fire was ignited on January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades during the powerful Santa Ana winds. It burned 23,448 acres, killed 12 people, and destroyed 6,837 structures making it the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.[6] It burned simultaneously with the Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people in Los Angeles County.[7][8]
Charges
[edit]Prosecutors allege that after finishing an Uber shift on January 1, 2025, Rinderknecht walked up the Skull Rock Trailhead in Pacific Palisades and used an open flame to ignite vegetation just after midnight.[5][9][10][11] The blaze, called the Lachman Fire, was suppressed by crews but continued burning underground for six days before resurfacing as the Palisades Fire.[12] Cellphone records placed Rinderknecht as the only person in the area at ignition. Uber's GPS data confirmed his location.[13][14][15][16]
On October 15, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted him on three counts: destruction of property by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce, and timber set afire.[17][18][16] He faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.[19][20][21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "United States v. Jonathan Rinderknecht". U.S. Department of Justice. March 5, 2026. Archived from the original on May 25, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Cowan, Jill; Angeles, Valerie Boey RamseyJill Cowan reported from Los; Orlando, Valerie Boey Ramsey reported from; Fla. (October 9, 2025). "What We Know About the Man Arrested in the Palisades Fire Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "29-year-old former Uber driver arrested in connection with starting deadly Palisades Fire". NBC News. October 8, 2025. Archived from the original on June 8, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Man accused of 'maliciously' igniting fire that caused the deadly Palisades Fire". ABC News. October 8, 2025. Archived from the original on June 8, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "Florida Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Maliciously Started What Became the Palisades Fire". www.justice.gov. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Palisades Fire". Wikipedia. Archived from the original on May 30, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Trial to get underway for man accused of starting devastating Palisades Fire". ABC News. June 8, 2026. Archived from the original on June 8, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Jury selection begins in trial for man accused of starting blaze that turned into Palisades Fire". ABC7 Los Angeles. June 8, 2026. Archived from the original on June 9, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "How the Palisades Fire investigation led to the arrest of arson suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht". CNN. October 11, 2025. Archived from the original on May 9, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Jack Hannah, Nick Watt, Dakin Andone (June 25, 2026). "The Palisades Fire arson trial ended in a jury deadlock and mistrial. Here's how the defense undercut the prosecution | CNN". CNN. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "ATF agent testifies linking arson suspect to dark web and AI use in Lachman Fire trial". ABC7 Los Angeles. June 12, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Palisades Fire arrest made". CBS News. October 8, 2025.
- ↑ "29-year-old former Uber driver arrested in connection with starting deadly Palisades Fire". NBC News. October 8, 2025.
- ↑ Lloyd, Jonathan (June 8, 2026). "Jury selection begins in Palisades Fire arson trial". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Mistrial declared in trial over deadly, destructive Palisades Fire". NBC News. June 26, 2026. Archived from the original on July 11, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Leonard, Eric (June 10, 2026). "Timeline of events key to prosecution's Palisades arson case". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ Ding, Jaimie; Weber, Christopher (June 26, 2026). "Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks in arson trial over deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles". www.pbs.org. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ Blagojevic, Nikola; Baker, Jack (February 23, 2026). "2025 Palisades Fire Recovery Analysis for the City of Malibu". doi.org. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Man suspected of starting Palisades Fire indicted on federal charges". ABC News. October 16, 2025.
- ↑ McPhee, Michele (June 8, 2026). "Jury Selection Begins for Accused Palisades Fire Arsonist". LAmag. Archived from the original on June 9, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Judge declares mistrial in arson trial of Palisades Fire suspect after jury deadlocks". ABC7 Los Angeles. June 26, 2026. Archived from the original on July 10, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.