The person accused of beginning a hearth that finally grew to become the lethal blaze that devastated the Pacific Palisades space of Los Angeles earlier this 12 months has been indicted by a federal grand jury, the Justice Division introduced Wednesday.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged in a three-count indictment with one depend of destruction of property via hearth, one depend of arson affecting property utilized in interstate commerce and one depend of timber set afire.
He now faces as much as 45 years in federal jail.
The indictment provides two extra costs. When he was arrested, authorities stated the utmost punishment Rinderknecht confronted was 20 years in jail.
Jonathan Rinderknecht is seen in a photograph launched by the Division of Justice.
Division of Justice
Rinderknecht, a former LA resident residing in Florida, was arrested Oct. 7 — a number of months after the Palisades Fireplace leveled neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and left 12 individuals useless.
Federal prosecutors stated Rinderknecht, who was working as an Uber driver on the time, ignited a brush hearth within the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1.
Regardless of being suppressed by hearth crews, the fireplace continued to smolder till it surfaced once more practically per week later amid excessive winds within the Los Angeles space, finally changing into the Palisades Fireplace, one of the harmful wildfires in LA’s historical past, in response to officers.
Properties that have been destroyed within the Palisades Fireplace, Jan. 27, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Mario Tama/Getty Pictures
In a prison criticism, authorities allege Rinderknecht brought on the fireplace by lighting a flamable materials, reminiscent of vegetation or paper, with an open flame, doubtless a lighter.
Authorities have not described a motive, however throughout a information convention after Rinderknecht’s arrest, appearing U.S. Lawyer Invoice Essayli pointed to digital proof included within the criticism of a picture Rinderknecht allegedly generated in July 2024 utilizing ChatGPT, exhibiting partially “a burning forest and a crowd fleeing from it.”
Rinderknecht is because of seem for an arraignment in U.S. District Courtroom in downtown Los Angeles, which is predicted within the coming weeks, federal prosecutors stated.
