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Palisades Fire Suspect Indicted, Faces up to 45 Years in Prison Due to Additional Charges
Jonathan Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in prison after allegedly igniting the Palisades Fire that killed 12 and destroyed neighborhoods, prosecutors said.
- Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, accused arson suspect, on charges tied to a blaze that became the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California.
- Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht ignited a Jan. 1 brush fire with an open flame, likely a lighter, that smoldered until heavy winds re-ignited it on Jan. 7, becoming the Palisades Fire.
- Prosecutors highlighted queries Rinderknecht typed into ChatGPT, including asking if one is at fault if a fire is caused by cigarettes, and authorities cite a ChatGPT-generated image as evidence.
- The Palisades Fire killed twelve people, destroyed about 6,800 structures and burned roughly 23,400 acres, causing $28 billion to $53.8 billion in estimated damage.
- Rinderknecht has been in federal custody since his Oct. 7 arrest and is due for arraignment in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks; he faces up to 45 years if convicted.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Man Accused of Setting Devastating Pacific Palisades Fire Indicted By Federal Grand Jury
A federal grand jury indicted the 29-year-old man accused of starting a fire that eventually became the deadly Pacific Palisades wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed large swaths of Los Angeles earlier this year. Jonathan Rinderknecht, who was arrested in Florida but previously lived in the Pacific Palisades, was charged with three counts related to the alleged arson, including arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, dest…
The fires that ravaged entire neighborhoods of Los Angeles in January had cost the lives of twelve people in the neighborhood of Palisades Highlands. The suspect, 29 years old, was born and grew up in France. He is prosecuted on three counts.
LA Grand Jury Indicts Palisades Fire Suspect
A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted a 29-year-old former Pacific Palisades resident who is charged with allegedly intentionally sparking what eventually became the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. Jonathan Rinderknecht, an Uber driver who most recently lived in Florida, is charged in the three-count indictment with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting…
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