SAT . The man accused of starting the California Palisades Fire is facing 45 years in prison if he is found guilty after a federal grand jury indicted him and added two more felonies to his criminal case.
Jonathan Rinderknecht; The Palisades fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades on January 7, 2024. Credit :
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California ; Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/ Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A man accused of starting the California Palisades Fire, which claimed the lives of 12 people, is facing up to 45 years in jail if he is convicted
- Jonathan Rinderknecht was already facing a charge of destruction of property by means of fire, but an Oct. 15 indictment adds one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire, increasing the total potential term
- According to fire officials, the blaze burned through over 23,000 acres
The man accused of starting the California Palisades Fire is facing 45 years in prison if he is found guilty after a federal grand jury indicted him and added two more felonies to his criminal case.
According to a Wednesday, Oct. 15, filing from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, who was already facing charges of destruction of property by means of fire, is now also charged with one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and one count of timber set afire.
Already facing 20 years in jail, the additional indictments bring the possible jail term up to 45 years with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Per the indictment, Rinderknecht, who is also known as “Jonathan Rinder” and “Jon Rinder,” has been in federal custody since his arrest on Oct. 7. His next court appearance will be his arraignment, which will be scheduled in the next few weeks in the United States District Court in L.A.Jonathan Rinderknecht.
Bill Essayli, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California/X
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed Rinderknecht’s initial arrest on X on Oct. 8. He alleged that the Uber driver started a fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on New Year’s Day, which “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,” Essayli added.
On the evening of December 31, 2024, two of Rinderknecht’s Uber passengers reported that he appeared “agitated and angry,” according to the indictment. After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, Rinderknecht — who once lived in the area — parked at Skull Rock Trailhead.
At 12:12 a.m. on January 1, 2025, environmental sensing platforms indicated the Lachman Fire had begun. After calling 911, Rinderknecht fled in his car before returning to watch the fire and the firefighters. According to the indictment, the Uber driver even took iPhone videos of the scene.Firefighters battle winds and flames as multiple beachfront homes go up in flames along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in the Palisades Fire on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
During a police interview on January 24, 2025, Rinderknecht claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but location data from his cell phone placed him 30 feet from the blaze as it grew.
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As previously reported by PEOPLE, investigators determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” fire, meaning it was a continuation of a fire known as the Lachman Fire — which Rinderknecht is accused of starting — that began on Jan. 1, 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,” the complaint previously obtained by PEOPLE states.
A week later, on Jan. 7, heavy winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became known as the Palisades Fire, which caused widespread damage in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The blaze went on to claim the lives of 12 people and burn over 23,000 acres, according to a report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating the matter along with the Los Angeles Police Department and the United States Forest Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Williams, Matthew W. O’Brien and Danbee C. Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section and Assistant United States Attorney Laura A. Alexander of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting Rinderknecht’s case.
