The man accused of starting the Palisades fire has been indicted by a federal grand jury
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 Latchman fire just after midnight on January 1, local time. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, after dropping off an Uber passenger, Rinderknecht drove toward the Skull Rock Trailhead and listened to a rap song whose music video included objects catching fire.
After the fire started, Rinderknecht called 911 several times, but failed to reach authorities due to his iPhone being out of service. A resident later reported the fire to authorities, and Rinderknecht fled the scene before returning to take videos.
The Lackman Fire later became the Palisades Fire on January 7, as high winds caused the fire to emerge underground 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 were killed and 6,837 buildings were destroyed.
Rinderknecht, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, California, currently resides in Melbourne, Florida. He was arrested at his home in Florida last week. Acting US Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essay, said in a statement: “While we cannot bring back what the victims lost, we hope this criminal case will bring a measure of justice to those affected by this terrible tragedy.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District noted that law enforcement determined that Renderknecht started the fire using witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and analysis of dynamics and patterns at the scene, among other methods. She also noted that Rinderknecht lied about his location when he saw the Lachman fire during an interview with law enforcement on January 24.
Rinderknecht is charged with destruction of property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and arson.
The statement announcing the indictment notes that if convicted, Rinderknecht faces a minimum of five years and up to 45 years in federal prison. He is expected to appear in US District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks to be charged.
