Authorities have arrested Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, for allegedly starting a fire that turned into the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, CA.
Rinderknecht allegedly started the fire on January 1. It exploded due to intense winds on January 7 and ripped through the prestigious neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, killing 12 people. It also destroyed over 6,000 homes and buildings.
The authorities have charged Rinderknecht with destruction of property by means of fire.
Rinderknecht will appear in a federal court in Florida, where he resides, on Wednesday.
The complaint accuses Rinderknecht of starting “the fire on land owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (“MRCA”), an organization that received federal funding.”
The investigation reportedly revealed Rinderknecht’s proximity to the fire, which started late at night on December 31, 2024, while he was working as an Uber driver. He knew the area because he used to live there.
The complaint states that Rinderknecht admitted to walking up the Skull Rock Trailhead that night to the top of a hill known as Hidden Buddha.
Environmental sensing platforms picked up a fire at 12:12 AM on January 1.
Here’s an interesting tidbit! Rinderknacht attempted to call 911 two times:
RINDERKNECHT attempted to call 911 at approximately 12:12:31 a.m. The call did not go through, most likely because he was out of cellphone range. The GPS data obtained from RINDERKNECHT’s iPhone carrier for that attempted call placed his iPhone slightly below the Hidden Buddha clearing.Approximately 19 seconds later, at approximately 12:12:50 a.m., RINDERKNECHT attempted to call 911 again, again unsuccessfully. The GPS data for that attempted call was more precise, and placed him in the Hidden Buddha clearing.
Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X:
Today we are announcing the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht’s started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day — a blaze that eventually turned into one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction.Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city.While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy.Rinderknecht’s initial appearance is scheduled for today at 1:30 p.m. EDT in U.S. District Court in Orlando. Rinderknecht is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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