Authorities in Florida arrested a 29-year-old former Pacific Palisades resident Tuesday for allegedly starting the Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in January.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, appeared Wednesday in federal court in Florida. At another hearing Thursday he was ordered to remain in custody in Florida after a federal agent told a judge the man threatened to burn down his sister’s home last month.
“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
Rinderknecht, who resides in Melbourne, Florida, was working as an Uber driver and after dropping off passengers in the area allegedly sparked a fire in the Palisades around midnight New Year’s Day, prosecutors contend.
Rinderknecht once lived in the neighborhood and drove toward Skull Rock Trailhead, where he parked his car, attempted to contact a former friend, then walked up the trail to an area known as the Hidden Buddha clearing, according to court documents. He used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and played a French rap song, “Un Zder, Un The.” In previous days Rinderknecht allegedly had listened to the song multiple times, and its music video includes images of the artist Josman setting fires, prosecutors allege.
Using witness statements, video surveillance, cell data and analysis of fire dynamics and patterns at the scene, investigators determined Rinderknecht used an “open flame” to start the hilltop blaze initially dubbed the Lachman Fire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Firefighters believed the Lachman Fire had been fully extinguished, but it smoldered undetected for a week. Extremely fast winds on Jan. 7 caused the underground blaze to return to the surface and spread into what became known as the Palisades Fire.
“Although firefighters suppressed the blaze, the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation,” Essayli told reporters Wednesday. “It smoldered underground for about a week until on Jan. 7, heavy winds caused this underground fire to surface and spread above ground, causing what became known as the Palisades Fire — one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history.”
Rinderknecht is charged in Los Angeles federal court with destruction of property by means of fire. The case will be presented to a grand jury in downtown LA with additional charges likely forthcoming, prosecutors said.
A ChatGPT log associated with Rinderknecht indicates he created a series of images depicting a burning forest and crowds fleeing, prosecutors said.
According to court documents, on the night of Dec. 31 Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver and drove two passengers separately between 10:15 and 11:15 p.m. The passengers told law enforcement they recalled Rinderknecht appearing “agitated and angry.”
At 12:12 a.m. Jan. 1, environmental sensing platforms indicated the Lachman Fire had started. During the next five minutes, Rinderknecht allegedly called 911 several times but his calls did not connect because his mobile phone was out of reception range, court papers show.
He connected with 911 after reaching the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire, prosecutors said. By that time, an area resident had reported the fire to authorities.
Rinderknecht then fled in his vehicle, passing fire engines heading in the opposite direction, according to prosecutors. He then turned around and followed the fire engines at high speed.
Rinderknecht arrived at the scene and walked up the same trail from earlier that evening to watch the inferno and the firefighting, Essayli said. At about 1:02 a.m., the suspect used his mobile phone to record more videos of the fire scene.
Authorities said that during a Jan. 24 interview with law enforcement officers, Rinderknecht lied about his location when he first saw the Lachman Fire. He said he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but location data from his cell phone carrier showed that he was standing in a clearing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly spread, prosecutors contend.
The Palisades Fire killed 12 people, burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive neighborhood in northern Los Angeles. The blaze destroyed about 6,800 structures.
The fire was one of two wind-driven fires that erupted Jan. 7. The toll from both blazes, including the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena, at least 30 people were killed, more than 16,000 structures were destroyed and nearly 60,000 acres scorched.
The initial charge against Rinderknecht of destruction of property by means of fire could result in a 20-year prison sentence.
Local officials hailed news of the arrest as another step toward closure for fire victims.
“I want to thank the federal Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work, and the leadership of Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department for their efforts, both of which were part of a multi-jurisdictional task force that led to this arrest,” Mayor Karen Bass said.
The mayor said that with the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the city will release a much-anticipated after-action report reviewing the city’s response to the Palisades Fire. The report has been completed, but it remained sealed pending the conclusion of the federal investigation.
“To every person who lost a loved one, a home, or the place you built your life, please know that you are in my heart and thoughts given today’s news,” LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents Pacific Palisades, said in a statement. “Today’s arrest cannot erase the pain and unimaginable loss you have suffered, but it is a step toward accountability.
“I am grateful to the public safety partners who worked tirelessly to bring us to this moment,” Horvath continued. “While nothing can undo the devastation this fire caused, today’s news offers a measure of justice as we continue the hard work of rebuilding and healing together.”
LA City Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, expressed gratitude to investigators and commented on the arrest.
“No measure of justice will ever restore what was lost in the Pacific Palisades, and nothing will ever make this right for the thousands of people who lost everything — lives, homes, jobs, memories, futures,” Park said in a statement. “That this fire was intentionally and maliciously set only enhances our grief and outrage. But this arrest acknowledges to every victim and survivor that what happened matters, that there will be accountability, and that their loss will not be forgotten.”
Properties in adjacent Malibu were damaged and destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Mayor Marianne Riggins thanked investigators and said the city’s focus remains on recovery efforts.
“Learning that the fire may have been intentionally set adds another layer of pain to the profound losses our City has already endured,” Riggins said in a statement. “While this arrest brings some accountability, it does not undo the overwhelming destruction or the heartbreak it caused our community.
“As we take a moment to acknowledge this difficult news, Malibu remains committed to getting families back into their homes,” the mayor continued. “Supporting you through every step of recovery is our highest priority. Together, we are Malibu Strong.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement the arrest “marks an important step toward uncovering how the horrific Palisades Fire began and bringing closure to the thousands of Californians whose lives were upended.”
He added, “This tragedy will never be forgotten — lives were lost, families torn apart, and entire communities forever changed — and there must be accountability. We thank the U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their thorough investigation into this fire and for confirming the indisputable facts on the ground.”
The investigation was led by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Kenny Cooper, special agent in charge of the agency’s Los Angeles office, told reporters Wednesday that federal investigators did an intensive probe to determine the cause of the Palisades Fire.
“We literally had agents on their hands and knees,” crawling through the burned terrain to hone in on the specific location where the fire began, Cooper said.
Updated Oct. 9, 2025, 11:57 a.m.
