(This story was updated to add new information.)
Authorities have arrested a 29-year-old in connection with the fatal Palisades Fire that scorched more than 23,000 acres in Los Angeles County earlier this year.
Jonathan Rinderknecht is alleged to have ignited a fire “that ultimately burned down” the Palisades area earlier this year, said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who, along with federal and local officials, joined to make the announcement at a morning press conference on Oct. 8.
The 29-year-old was arrested near his Florida residence on Oct. 7, said Essayli. The criminal complaint unsealed on Oct. 8 charged Rinderknecht “with destruction of property by means of a fire, a felony,” said Essayli. That carries a “mandatory minimum five-year federal prison sentence and is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.”
Essayli said officials will decide about additional charges “in the coming days.”
Rinderknecht, of Melbourne, Florida, is a former Pacific Palisades resident, according to a news release from the Central District of California.
He is charged with starting a fire on New Year’s Day in the Pacific Palisades called the Lachman Fire. This fire smoldered underground for a week, when heavy winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground, later causing the Palisades Fire, said Essayli.
The Palisades Fire, which started on Jan. 7 and raged throughout the month, left 12 dead and devastated thousands of homes and structures. It came as meteorologists warned of widespread damaging winds and extreme fire weather conditions.
It’s the third most destructive wildfire in California history, just under the Eaton Fire.
Rinderknecht is expected to appear in a federal court in Orlando, Florida on Oct. 8. He does not have a criminal history, authorities said.
The Desert Sun has reached out to Rinderknecht’s representation for comment.
How did suspect in Palisades Fire start the blaze?
The Lachman Fire started on Jan. 1 and eventually became the Palisades Fire, Essayli said. Rinderknecht is charged with maliciously starting it shortly after midnight.
Firefighters suppressed the blaze, but it ultimately surfaced and spread above ground, causing the Palisades Fire.
Kenny Cooper of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Los Angeles Field Division, said that investigators determined the Palisades Fire was caused by an “intentionally set fire near a viewpoint along the Temescal Ridge Trail in Topanga State Park” on Jan. 1.
The fire was determined to have been ignited “with an open flame.”
Essayli said investigators have no evidence that “any fireworks were set off in this area at the time the fire ignited” in response to a question about it.
Officials give details about Jonathan Rinderknecht’s alleged involvement in Lachman Fire
Authorities say Rinderknecht, an Uber driver, was near the area on New Year’s Eve.
He “walked up a nearby trail, took iPhone videos at a nearby hilltop, and listened to a rap song whose music video included objects being lit on fire,” according to Essayli.
Rinderknecht had listened to the song and watched its music video repeatedly in the days leading up to Lachman Fire, Essayli said.
Rinderknecht called 911 several times after midnight — after environmental sensing platforms indicated the Lachman Fire had begun, according to a Department of Justice news release.
“When he finally connected with 911, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire,” the DOJ news release said.
At that time, a nearby resident had already reported the fire to authorities.
Rinderknecht allegedly fled in his car but passed fire engines driving in the opposite direction, and he turned around and followed the fire engines.
Authorities said he walked up the same trail from earlier in the night to watch the fire, the firefighters, and take videos of the scene.
“During an interview with law enforcement on Jan. 24, 2025, Rinderknecht lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire,” according to the DOJ news release. “He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but geolocation data from his iPhone carrier showed that he was standing in a clearing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew.”
Other evidence Essayli mentioned on Oct. 8 was Rinderknecht’s ChatGPT prompt “of a dystopian painting showing, in part, a burning forest and a crowd fleeing from it.”
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 29-year-old arrested in Palisades Fire, alleged to be responsible for fire
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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