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Palisades Fire Suspect to Remain Jailed, Allegedly Threatened to Burn Down Sister's Florida Home
Jonathan Rinderknecht faces federal arson charges after allegedly starting a fire that destroyed 7,000 structures and killed 12 people, with concerns about his mental health cited in court.
- Federal investigators say Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29-year-old suspect, was arrested for igniting a fire just after midnight on Jan. 1 along Temescal Ridge Trail that prosecutors link to the Lachman Fire and Palisades Fire, which destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people.
- The small brush fire smoldered underground for about a week before heavy winds on Jan. 7, 2025 caused it to surface and scorch more than 200 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, with full containment declared on Jan. 31, 2025.
- Video and digital records place Jonathan Rinderknecht near the first glow and show an iPhone video of a green barbecue-style lighter allegedly bearing his DNA, while evening passengers described him as agitated and he queried ChatGPT about fire culpability.
- Prosecutors charged Rinderknecht under arson statute 18 U.S.C. § 844, with a next hearing scheduled for Oct. 17, and he was ordered held without bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathan W. Hill.
- Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli said the complaint alleges a single person's recklessness caused one of Los Angeles's worst fires, with UCLA Anderson School of Management estimating $76 billion to $131 billion in capital losses and $45 billion in insured losses.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Right-wing media personalities seize on arson charge to falsely deny the role of climate change in Palisades Fire
Right-wing media personalities are using the arrest of a man charged with igniting the Palisades fire in Los Angeles — a blaze that killed a dozen people and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures in January — to deny climate change. For example, Fox News host Jesse Watters claimed that the finding that arson started the Palisades Fire “put the final nail in the climate change coffin.” As the Palisades fire and the nearby Eaton fire were raging in …
Palisades Arson Suspect's Pro-Dem Online Climate Rants
Palisades arson suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is accused of igniting the massive inferno that tore through Los Angeles earlier this year — while using social media to spread anti-Trump rhetoric and alarmist climate change posts. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht hiked into the hills above Los Angeles on Jan. 1 and deliberately started a brushfire that later reignited, destroying over 7,000 homes and businesses, killing 12 people, and scorching n…
Florida Man Accused Of Starting Palisades Fire Allegedly Threatened Family Members Months Prior
Police arrested an Uber Driver from Florida earlier this week, alleging he started the deadly Palisades fire in January. A court heard yesterday that the suspect had also previously threatened two of his family members. What happened: A report by WESH reveals several alarming details shared before a judge in Orlando on October 9. During the hearing, the ATF Special Agent in Charge detailed two separate incidents where officers visited the home o…
Palisades Fire suspect to remain jailed, allegedly threatened to burn down sister's Florida home
New details outline two incidents from last month where police were called, including an incident where the suspect allegedly threatened to burn down his sister's home.
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