Man suspected of starting Palisades Fire indicted on federal charges; faces 45 years in prison
The man accused of starting a fire that eventually became the deadly blaze that devastated the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles earlier this year has been indicted by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged in a three-count indictment with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire.
He now faces up to 45 years in federal prison.
The indictment adds two additional charges. When he was arrested, authorities said the maximum punishment Rinderknecht faced was 20 years in prison.
Rinderknecht, a former LA resident living in Florida, was arrested Oct. 7 -- several months after the Palisades Fire leveled neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and left 12 people dead.
Federal prosecutors said Rinderknecht, who was working as an Uber driver at the time, ignited a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1.
Despite being suppressed by fire crews, the fire continued to smolder until it surfaced again nearly a week later amid high winds in the Los Angeles area, eventually becoming the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in LA's history, according to officials.
In a criminal complaint, authorities allege Rinderknecht caused the fire by lighting a combustible material, such as vegetation or paper, with an open flame, likely a lighter.
Authorities haven't described a motive, but during a news conference after Rinderknecht's arrest, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli pointed to digital evidence included in the complaint of an image Rinderknecht allegedly generated in July 2024 using ChatGPT, showing in part "a burning forest and a crowd fleeing from it."
Rinderknecht is due to appear for an arraignment in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, which is expected in the coming weeks, federal prosecutors said.
