Palisades Fire arrest made; suspect allegedly set earlier blaze that later ignited Jan. 7 LA inferno, officials say

By Austin Turner

A Florida man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the destructive Palisades Fire that killed a dozen people in Los Angeles earlier this year, officials said on Wednesday.

The man, identified as 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested on suspicion of “maliciously” starting the blaze that later became the Palisades Fire, according to acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. A criminal complaint shows that he’ll be charged with Destruction of Property by Means of Fire, but Essayli added that additional charges may be added.

The felony charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, which could last as long as 20 years if convicted.

Officials claimed during a news conference Wednesday that Rinderknecht started the Lachman Fire in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1. The Lachman Fire was initially limited to about eight acres and didn’t destroy any structures, but investigations revealed that catastrophic Santa Ana winds may have rekindled embers that led to the Palisades Fire beginning near the same location.

“Although firefighters suppressed the [Lachman Fire], the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation,” Essayli said. “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.”

The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres of land in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and the Santa Monica mountains. Twelve people were killed, according to Cal Fire, and more than 6,800 structures were destroyed.

“He is charged with starting the Palisades Fire. He started it on Jan. 1,” Essayli said. 

Essayli said the investigation into Rinderknecht included extensive “digital evidence.”

 In June 2024, he created a ChatGPT prompt, instructing it to create Artificial Intelligence-generated images of a burning city.

Officials did not state Rinderknecht’s alleged motive on Wednesday.

The Melbourne, Florida resident appeared in U.S. District Court in Orlando at 1:30 p.m. local time Wednesday. He did not enter a plea.

Wednesday’s news conference can be viewed in its entirety here.

In a statement, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass thanked investigators and vowed to help families rebuild after thousands of homes were destroyed in the inferno.

“More than 9 months ago, our city faced one of the most devastating periods our region had ever seen. Lives were tragically lost. Thousands of homes were destroyed,” Bass said. “Our heroic firefighters fought the blaze valiantly with no rest. Each day that families are displaced is a day too long and as we are working tirelessly to bring Angelenos home, we are also working towards closure and towards justice – and today is a step forward in that process.”

Bass said the Los Angeles Fire Department’s after-action report, which she claims was delayed by the federal investigation, will be released shortly.

The LAFD, which has been scrutinized for its response to the Palisades Fire, stated in a press release that it welcomed the news and thanked its law enforcement partners.

“This action was deliberate, intended to cause devastating harm to the City of Los Angeles,” the statement reads. “This arrest is a critical step toward ensuring accountability, justice, and healing for our city.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed that the state will continue to support the investigation.

“Today’s arrest of 29-year-old Florida resident Jonathan Rinderknecht marks an important step toward uncovering how the horrific Palisades Fire began and bringing closure to the thousands of Californians whose lives were upended,” he said.

The morning of Jan. 1

According to Essayli, investigations into Rinderknecht revealed that he was working as an Uber driver in the neighborhood where the Lachman Fire started. Rinderknecht appeared “agitated” and “angry” during his shift, two passengers told investigators.

After dropping off his final passenger, he walked up a nearby trail and tried to call a friend, who didn’t answer their phone. 

While on the trail, he took videos on his phone and listened to the French rap song “Un Zder, Un The,” by Josman, according to the criminal complaint, which states that Rinderknecht told investigators that he grew up in France. Essayli claimed that in the days leading up to Jan. 1, Rinderknecht listened to the song and watched its music video “repeatedly,” and that the video shows objects being lit on fire.

After starting the blaze, Rinderknecht contacted first responders multiple times, Essayli said. He initially fled the scene in his car but turned back toward the inferno after observing fire engines passing by.

He walked up the same trail to watch the fire from up close while crews battled the flames. Essayli said Rinderknecht continued to take videos of the events on his phone.

Weeks later, on Jan. 24, Rinderknecht was interviewed by law enforcement. Prosecutors say he lied during that initial interview, telling investigators that he spotted the flames while hiking at the bottom of the trail, leading him to call 911. Geolocation data from his phone indicated that he was just 30 feet away from the flames as they began to spread, Essayli claims.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.