Prosecutors Paint Palisades Fire Suspect as a Premeditated Arsonist in Opening Statements
Prosecutors say the fire began as a smoldering holdover that later burned 23,448 acres, killed 12 people and destroyed about 6,800 structures.
- Opening statements began Wednesday in the federal arson trial of 30-year-old former Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of igniting the deadly Palisades Fire on New Year's Day 2025.
- The fire originated as the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025, before smoldering for a week and erupting into the Palisades Fire during hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, killing 12 people and destroying about 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades.
- Prosecutors allege geolocation data placed Rinderknecht 30 feet from the blaze as it grew, noting he possessed a barbecue lighter and searched for news about Luigi Mangione; two Uber passengers reported he appeared agitated that evening.
- Defense attorney Steven Haney argues there is not "one single shred of evidence" linking his client to ignition, claiming first responders heard fireworks; Judge Anne Hwang blocked the defense from presenting Los Angeles Fire Department negligence arguments.
- Expected to last about 11 days, the trial features fire-origin experts and could result in up to 45 years in prison, though broader questions about government responsibility for fire management remain unresolved.
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NEWS HEADLINES: Trial begins for man accused of starting Palisades fire, plotting ‘revenge against society’ – One America News Network
An aerial view of a mobile home park destroyed by the Palisades Fire on May 07, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. Nearly four months after the Palisades Fire destroyed over 6,800 homes, workers continue to clear hazardous debris from sites where homes had burned, and construction on some new homes has begun. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) OAN Staff Jenna Lee6:15 PM – Wednesday, June 10, 2026 Opening statements have begun in the tri…
Palisades Fire trial begins with L.A. prosecutors blaming man distraught over his New Year’s plans
A federal trial has begun for the New Year’s Day inferno that led to the destructive Palisades Fire. Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of three federal charges in the case.
Arson Trial Starts for Man Blamed for Los Angeles' Deadly Palisades Fire
A federal prosecutor told jurors on Wednesday that a former Uber driver despondent over a failing relationship and resentful of the rich deliberately set a blaze that grew into one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires on record in Los Angeles. Jonathan Rinderknecht’s attorney countered that the defendant had nothing to do with the January 2025 blazes. Rinderknecht, 30, was indicted last October on one felony count each of destruction …
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