LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A 29-year-old former Pacific Palisades resident was in custody today 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 made his initial appearance in federal court there Wednesday. He is expected back in Florida federal court before a magistrate judge on Thursday for a detention hearing, 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 toward 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 initially known as the Lachman Fire, which was believed to have been doused, but 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 LA 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 that in July 2024 he created a series of “dystopian” 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.
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, 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 had already 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.
Kenny Cooper, special agent in charge of the LA office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told reporters Wednesday that federal investigators conducted a thorough, intense probe to determine the cause of the Palisades Fire. He noted that “we literally had agents on their hands and knees,” crawling through the burned grounds to zero in on the specific spot where the fire started.
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.
Local officials hailed news of the arrest as another step toward closure for fire victims.
“I want to thank the federal Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work, and the leadership of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department for their efforts, both of which were part of a multi-jurisdictional task force that led to this arrest,” Mayor Karen Bass said.
The mayor said that with the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the city will release a much-anticipated after-action report reviewing the city’s response to the Palisades Fire. The report has been completed, but it remains sealed pending the conclusion of the federal investigation.
“To every person who lost a loved one, a home, or the place you built your life, please know that you are in my heart and thoughts given today’s news,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath – who represents the Palisades area – said in a statement. “Today’s arrest cannot erase the pain and unimaginable loss you have suffered, but it is a step toward accountability.
“I am grateful to the public safety partners who worked tirelessly to bring us to this moment. While nothing can undo the devastation this fire caused, today’s news offers a measure of justice as we continue the hard work of rebuilding and healing together.”
LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva called the arrest “a critical step toward ensuring accountability, justice, and healing for our city.”
“We are forever grateful to our frontline responders, law enforcement partners, and the people of Los Angeles for their vigilance and support for one another during this incredibly challenging year,” Villanueva said.
“Although the flames have been extinguished, the impact of these fires will linger for years to come. Our hearts are with the families and neighborhoods who faced tremendous loss.”
City Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, expressed gratitude to investigators for their work.
“No measure of justice will ever restore what was lost in the Pacific Palisades, and nothing will ever make this right for the thousands of people who lost everything – lives, homes, jobs, memories, futures,” Park said in a statement. “That this fire was intentionally and maliciously set
only enhances our grief and outrage. But this arrest acknowledges to every victim and survivor that what happened matters, that there will be accountability, and that their loss will not be forgotten.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the arrest “marks an important step toward uncovering how the horrific Palisades Fire began and bringing closure to the thousands of Californians whose lives were upended.”
“This tragedy will never be forgotten – lives were lost, families torn apart, and entire communities forever changed – and there must be accountability,” Newsom said in a statement. “We thank the U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their thorough investigation into this fire and for confirming the indisputable facts on the ground.”