Man Arrested in Alleged Arson That Sparked Deadly Palisades Fire, Feds Say
Federal authorities announced Wednesday that they arrested a 29-year-old Florida man they say intentionally set the brush fire that later grew into the catastrophic Palisades Fire — the blaze that killed a dozen people and leveled thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades earlier this year.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was taken into custody in Florida on Tuesday and is expected to be transferred to California to face federal arson charges, according to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors. He is accused of “maliciously” igniting a fire near a popular hiking trail in a state park at about 12:12 a.m. on Jan. 1. Firefighters initially extinguished the blaze, the complaint says, but smoldering embers later reignited and — days afterward — exploded into the Palisades inferno that devastated the coastal enclave.
The complaint lays out a pattern of alleged behavior investigators say connects Rinderknecht to the blaze: after starting the early-January brush fire, he reportedly fled the scene, called 911 to report the fire, drove the hiking trail while filming on his phone, and played a rap song by French artist Josman whose music video depicts scenes of fire-setting. Prosecutors say he repeatedly viewed the same video in the days before the Jan. 1 ignition. Court papers also cite a July prompt Rinderknecht used to generate a dystopian image of a burning city via an AI tool.
Rinderknecht was interviewed by investigators soon after the initial blaze, the complaint says, and is accused of providing false statements during that interview. He was arrested on Tuesday and will face federal charges; prosecutors say arson that causes significant destruction or death can trigger enhanced penalties. Federal arson statutes carry mandatory minimum sentences in the range of five to 20 years, with stiffer penalties if the crime results in injury or loss of life. Authorities have indicated that, depending on the evidence and charging decisions, the deaths caused by the Palisades Fire could expose the defendant to the most severe possible consequences.
The Palisades Fire — which officials say later consumed more than 6,000 structures and caused roughly $150 billion in damages — ranks among the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. It erupted at the same time as the nearby Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people; federal investigators have not yet disclosed a cause for the Eaton Fire.
Local and federal agencies continue to investigate the origin and circumstances of both blazes. Prosecutors and law enforcement emphasized that the allegations against Rinderknecht are pending and that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.