Jonathan Rinderknecht
Comment: A living person accused of a crime is presumed not guilty unless and until the contrary is decided by a court of law. Editors must give serious consideration to not creating an article on an alleged perpetrator when no conviction is yet secured. See WP:CRIME. SomeoneDreaming (talk) 01:06, 10 August 2026 (UTC)
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
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
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
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
References
- ↑ "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Cowan, Jill; Angeles, Valerie Boey RamseyJill Cowan reported from Los; Orlando, Valerie Boey Ramsey reported from; Fla. (2025-10-09). "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 2026-06-08. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Florida Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Maliciously Started What Became the Palisades Fire". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Palisades Fire". Wikipedia. Archived from the original on May 30, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Jury selection begins in trial for man accused of starting blaze that turned into Palisades Fire". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2026-06-08. Archived from the original on June 9, 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-08. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Jack Hannah, Nick Watt, Dakin Andone (2026-06-25). "The Palisades Fire arson trial ended in a jury deadlock and mistrial. Here's how the defense undercut the prosecution | CNN". CNN. Retrieved 2026-07-12.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. 2026-06-12. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ "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 (2026-06-08). "Jury selection begins in Palisades Fire arson trial". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Mistrial declared in trial over deadly, destructive Palisades Fire". NBC News. 2026-06-26. Archived from the original on July 11, 2026. Retrieved 2026-07-12. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 16.0 16.1 Leonard, Eric (2026-06-10). "Timeline of events key to prosecution's Palisades arson case". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ Ding, Jaimie; Weber, Christopher (Jun 26, 2026). "Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks in arson trial over deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ Blagojevic, Nikola; Baker, Jack (2026-02-23). "2025 Palisades Fire Recovery Analysis for the City of Malibu". doi.org. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ "Man suspected of starting Palisades Fire indicted on federal charges". ABC News. October 16, 2025.
- ↑ McPhee, Michele (2026-06-08). "Jury Selection Begins for Accused Palisades Fire Arsonist". LAmag. Archived from the original on June 9, 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-08. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Judge declares mistrial in arson trial of Palisades Fire suspect after jury deadlocks". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2026-06-26. Archived from the original on July 10, 2026. Retrieved 2026-07-12. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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