A Florida man has been charged with maliciously setting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, one of the most destructive blazes in the city's history. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is accused of destruction of property by means of fire. The fire, which started on the evening of December 31, 2024, and spread rapidly in heavy winds, burned thousands of homes and killed 12 people. Rinderknecht, who previously lived in Pacific Palisades, was arrested in Florida on January 24, 2025. He is expected to appear in federal court in Orlando, Florida, later that day. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles is prosecuting him. Evidence found on Rinderknecht's digital devices, including an image generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city, suggests his intent to start the fire. Rinderknecht had been working as an Uber driver on the day of the fire and was described by two passengers as 'agitated and angry'. After dropping off a passenger, he drove to a trailhead and tried to contact a former friend. He then walked up the trail and took videos using his iPhone. Environmental sensing platforms indicated the fire had started shortly after midnight on January 1, 2025. Rinderknecht called 911 several times but was unable to get through due to being out of cellphone range. By the time he connected, the fire had already been reported by a resident. Rinderknecht fled the scene in his car, passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction. He then turned around and sped up to follow the fire engines, recording more videos of the scene from his phone. During his interview with law enforcement, Rinderknecht lied about his location when he first saw the fire, claiming he was near the bottom of a hiking trail. However, geolocation data from his iPhone carrier showed he was standing in a clearing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew.
