A 29-year-old suspect has been arrested 10 months after the Pacific Palisades fire destroyed over 6,000 homes and killed 12 people this past January. It marked the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested in Orlando, Florida on suspicion of lighting the fire that destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and threatened the nearby city of Santa Monica. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli claimed in a Wednesday morning press conference that the suspect intentionally lit the fire in the early morning hours of New Year's Day, and that it "smoldered underground for about a week" before high winds on January 7th caused it to erupt.
The New Year's Day fire, called the Lachman Fire, was detected and extinguished by firefighters quickly. The embers, though, continued to burn underground amid thick vegetation for the next seven days.
Cops Use ChatGPT to Link Him to Fire
Rinderknecht, a former Palisades resident who moved to Florida, was reportedly driving for Uber the night before starting the fire. Two of his passengers told law enforcement that Rinderknecht seemed angry.
A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office claims that Rinderknecht called 911 to report the blaze shortly after allegedly starting it. Cell phone records show that after calling, he watched the fire spread from a nearby hilltop and took several videos of the initial fire. The 29-year-old also went on to watch a music video that featured things being lit on fire. Prior to starting the fire, officials claim Rinderknecht used ChatGPT to generate images of a burning city and forest with people fleeing. Authorities say that these images and search history help link Rinderknecht to the initial blaze.
Today we are announcing the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.
— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 8, 2025
⁰The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht's started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day --… pic.twitter.com/UzrFa0Lmrz
Rinderknecht was arrested on destruction of property by means of fire. It's expected that further charges will be made against him, including murder charges for the people killed by the Palisades fire. The suspect will attend his first court hearing in Orlando and could face up to 20 years in prison for the destruction of property charge alone.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/MhroASd
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