A federal grand jury has indicted Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is suspected of starting a fire that led to the destructive Palisades wildfire that killed 12. Two additional felony charges were also added to his case, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Rinderknecht, 29, was initially charged with destruction of property by means of fire, but now also faces two additional felony charges, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire.
If convicted, he faces five to 45 years in federal prison. He has been in federal custody since his Oct. 7 arrest. He is suspected of starting the Lachman fire on Jan. 1, a “holdover fire” that burned underground for days and became the Palisades fire on Jan. 7 as intense winds battered Los Angeles. Authorities previously described Rinderknecht as having a “despondent view of the world.”
He is expected to be arraigned in the next few weeks in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, according to prosecutors.
Authorities allege that Rinderknecht, working as an Uber driver on Dec. 31, 2024, dropped off a passenger in the Pacific Palisades and headed to Skull Rock Trailhead, where he tried to contact a past friend, walked up the trail, and listened to a song with a music video that showed fire and took videos.
Environmental sensing platforms sensed the Lachman fire just after midnight on Jan. 1. Shortly after, Rinderknecht called 911 but could not get through until he was at the bottom of the hiking trail, by which time a resident had already reported the fire, prosecutors said.
He initially drove away from the fire, passing fire trucks heading towards the scene, before deciding to turn around and speeding after the fire trucks back to the scene of the fire. He walked back up the trail and took more videos around 1 a.m., according to the U.S. DOJ.
Days later, on Jan. 7, the Lachman fire became the Palisades fire after burning and smoldering underground for several days. The Palisades fire ultimately burned nearly 23,000 acres.
When he was interviewed by law enforcement in late January, he said he was at the bottom of the trail and had spotted the fire, but geolocation data revealed he was about 30 feet away from the blaze, authorities said. Rinderknecht had lived in the Palisades at one point, prosecutors said.
Related Articles
Heavy rainstorm hits Southern California, bringing evacuations, rescues, and some flooding Storm is bringing thunderstorms and possible flooding in Southern California burn scars Getty Villa, several others added as defendants to Palisades fire lawsuit Check out some wildfire-related bills that Gov. Newsom signed this week Newsom signs bill to stabilize FAIR Plan insuranceHence then, the article about palisades fire suspect indicted by grand jury faces new charges was published today ( ) and is available on Los Angeles Daily News ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Palisades fire suspect indicted by grand jury, faces new charges )
Also on site :