A federal grand jury has indicted Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old former resident of Pacific Palisades, for allegedly starting the fire that led to the destructive Palisades Fire in Los Angeles earlier this year. The indictment adds two felony charges to his case: arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire, along with a previous charge of destruction of property by means of fire.
Rinderknecht has been in federal custody since his arrest on October 7. His arraignment is expected to take place in the coming weeks at the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to court documents, law enforcement determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” from the Lachman Fire, which began early on January 1, 2025. Although firefighters quickly suppressed the initial blaze, it continued to smolder underground. On January 7, strong winds caused the fire to resurface and spread above ground, resulting in significant damage in Pacific Palisades.
Investigators used witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and fire pattern analysis to conclude that Rinderknecht intentionally set the Lachman Fire just after midnight on land owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), an organization that receives federal funding. The fire later spread and burned federal property.
On December 31, 2024, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Passengers reported to law enforcement that he appeared agitated and angry that evening. After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, he drove toward Skull Rock Trailhead, attempted to contact a former friend, and walked up a trail where he took videos and listened to music that featured images of fire.
At 12:12 a.m. on January 1, environmental sensors detected the start of the Lachman Fire. Over the next five minutes, Rinderknecht tried calling 911 several times but was unable to connect due to lack of cellphone coverage. When he did reach emergency services, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail; however, authorities had already been alerted by another resident.
Rinderknecht then left the area but soon returned, following fire engines back to the scene and taking more videos as firefighters responded. During an interview on January 24, he misled investigators about his location when he first saw the fire. Geolocation data from his phone showed he was much closer to the origin than he claimed.
The indictment notes that these are allegations and Rinderknecht is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted on all charges, Rinderknecht faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 45 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation with support from the Los Angeles Police Department and the United States Forest Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Williams, Matthew W. O’Brien, Danbee C. Kim (Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section), and Laura A. Alexander (Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section).
