LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is charged with sparking the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.
Authorities say Rinderknecht started a small fire, which became known as the Lachman Fire, on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground before reigniting nearly a week later and roaring through Pacific Palisades.
Federal agents say Rinderknecht is from central Florida but was familiar with the Pacific Palisades area. He had been staying at a home on Via La Costa in the Palisades Highlands that burned in the Jan. 7 fire.
Timeline of Rinderknecht’s alleged actions leading up to fire
Arrest made in connection with the Palisades Fire, which caused widespread destruction in Los Angeles and killed a dozen people
Rinderknecht started the Lachman Fire in the early morning hours of Jan. 1 after working as an Uber driver the night before, according to the federal criminal complaint.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said two of his passengers told law enforcement that he appeared agitated and angry that night. After he dropped off a passenger in the Pacific Palisades, Essayli said Rinderknecht parked his car and tried but failed to contact a former friend.
Then, Rinderknecht exited his car, walked up a trail, took iPhone videos from a nearby hilltop and listened to a “rap song, whose music video included objects being lit on fire.”
Essayli said Rinderknecht listened to the song and watched the music video repeatedly in the days leading up to the Lachman Fire.
After the Lachman Fire ignited, Rinderknecht called 911 to report the blaze but did not get service. Cellphone records show Rinderknecht was the only person in the area where the fire started.
He fled the scene after starting the fire, but returned to the same trail to watch it burn, Essayli said.
Uber said in a statement that it worked with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine the driver’s whereabouts around the time of the fire.
“While the Lachman Fire burned, the defendant walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and firefighters,” Essayli said, adding that Rinderknecht recorded videos of the scene using his iPhone.
Details behind the rap song song and music video
On Dec. 31, 2024, Rinderknecht used his iPhone to access YouTube to listen to the song entitled “Un Zder, Un The,” by the French artist Josman, according to the criminal complaint.
The theme of the French song is despair and bitterness, and the music video shows the main character (Josman) lighting things on fire, the criminal complaint states.
The complaint points to Google records which indicate that Rinderknecht had listened to the same song nine times and watched the video three time within a span of four days leading up to the blaze.
Rinderknecht talked to authorities three weeks after the fire
Rinderknecht was interviewed by authorities on Jan. 24. During that interview, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn’t witnessed it, according to the criminal complaint.
He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.
Rinderknecht was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call 911 and his question to ChatGPT about a cigarette lighting a fire indicated he “wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire,” the complaint said.
Investigators say they found lighter in his glove compartment
Investigators determined the Lachman Fire was intentionally lit, likely by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, according to the criminal complaint.
They excluded other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette may have caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says.
Investigators found a “barbecue-style” lighter inside the glove compartment of Rinderknecht’s car on Jan. 24. It appeared to be the same lighter as one that was in his apartment on Dec. 31, based on a photo on his phone. He admitted to bringing a lighter with him when he walked up the hill.
First court appearance
Rinderknecht was arrested Tuesday in Florida and made his first court appearance Wednesday in Orlando on charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Wearing shorts and a T-shirt while shackled at the ankles, he told a federal magistrate in a soft-spoken voice that he was born in Indiana, was not under the influence and did not have mental issues. He said he was clear-headed.
Rinderknect’s attorney asked for another hearing that will take place Thursday morning. Prosecutors say they plan to ask for no bond.
If found guilty, Rinderknect could face up to 20 years in prison.
Valerie Boey of WFTV and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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