A 29-year-old former Pacific Palisades resident was in custody Wednesday in Florida for allegedly sparking the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed much of the exclusive community.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested Tuesday in Florida, and was expected to appear in federal court in that state Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Rinderknecht -- who was working as an Uber driver -- allegedly started a fire in the Palisades area shortly after midnight on New Year's Day, after dropping off passengers nearby.
Prosecutors contend Rinderknecht -- who once lived in the neighborhood -- drove towards Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his car, attempted to contact a former friend, and then walked up the trail to an area known as the Hidden Buddha clearing. He used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a French rap song titled "Un Zder, Un The" -- to which he had listened repeatedly in previous days and the music video for which includes images of the artist setting fire, Essayli said.
Using witness statements, video surveillance, cell data, and analysis of fire dynamics and patterns at the scene, investigators determined Rinderknecht used an "open flame" to set the hilltop fire known initially known as the Lachman Fire that was believed to have been doused, but which smoldered undetected for a week. Heavy winds on Jan. 7 caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became known as the Palisades Fire, causing widespread damage in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, prosecutors said.
"Although firefighters suppressed the blaze, the fire continue(d) to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation," Essayli said during a news conference Wednesday. "It smoldered underground for about a week until on Jan. 7, heavy winds caused this underground fire to surface and spread above ground, causing what became known as the Palisades Fire -- one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history."
Rinderknecht, of Melbourne, Florida, is charged in L.A. federal court with destruction of property by means of fire. The case will be presented to a grand jury in downtown Los Angeles and more extensive charges are likely to be filed, prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors contend the suspect's ChatGPT log shows he created a series of images depicting a burning forest and crowds fleeing.
"While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy," Essayli said.
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According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, law enforcement determined that the Palisades Fire was a "holdover" fire -- a continuation of the Lachman Fire that began early in the morning on New Year's Day 2025. Although firefighters quickly suppressed the Lachman Fire, unbeknownst to anyone the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of dense vegetation, according to the affidavit.
On the evening of Dec. 31, 2024, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Two passengers he drove on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. that night later told law enforcement they remembered that Rinderknecht "appeared agitated and angry," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
At 12:12 a.m. Jan. 1, 2025, environmental sensing platforms indicated the Lachman Fire had begun. During the next five minutes, Rinderknecht allegedly called 911 several times, but didn't get through because his iPhone was out of cell range, court papers show.
Federal prosecutors say that when he finally connected with 911, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire. By that point, a nearby resident already had reported the fire to authorities.
Rinderknecht then allegedly fled in his car, passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction. Prosecutors contend he then turned around and followed the fire engines to the scene, driving at a high rate of speed. Rinderknecht walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and the firefighters, Essayli said, and at about 1:02 a.m., the suspect used his iPhone to take more videos of the scene.
Authorities allege that during an interview with law enforcement on Jan. 24, Rinderknecht lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire. He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but location data from his iPhone carrier showed that he was standing in a clearing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew, prosecutors allege.
The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive community, destroying about 6,800 structures and killing 12 people.
The fire was one of two wind-driven blazes that started on Jan. 7. Together with the Eaton Fire in Altadena, near Pasadena, at least 30 people were killed, more than 16,000 structures were destroyed and nearly 60,000 acres were burned.
The initial charge against Rinderknecht of destruction of property by means of fire could land him in prison for up to 20 years.
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