A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is alleged to have started the Lachman Fire just after midnight local time on Jan. 1. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, after dropping off an Uber passenger, Rinderknecht drove towards Skull Rock Trailhead and listened to a rap song whose music video included things being lit on fire.
After he allegedly started the fire, Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times, but failed to reach authorities due to his iPhone being out of service range. A resident later reported the fire to authorities, with Rinderknecht fleeing the scene before returning to take videos.
The Lachman Fire later became the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7, as heavy winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres from Jan. 7-31. At least 12 people died and 6,837 structures were destroyed.
Rinderknecht, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, Calif., currently resides in Melbourne, Fla. He was arrested at his Florida home last week, with Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli saying in a release that, “while we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrible tragedy.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District noted that law enforcement determined Rinderknecht started the fire using witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, dynamics analysis and patterns at the scene, among other methods. It also noted that Rinderknecht lied about his location when he saw the Lachman Fire during a Jan. 24 interview with law enforcement.
Rinderknecht is charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
The release announcing the indictment notes that if convicted, Rinderknecht faces at least five years and up to 45 years in federal prison. He is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks for his arraignment.
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