A 29-year-old former Pacific Palisades resident has been arrested on federal charges alleging he maliciously started the fire that became the catastrophic Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history that killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, also known as "Jonathan Rinder" and "Jon Rinder," was arrested Tuesday in Melbourne, Florida, where he currently resides, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. He faces charges of destruction of property by means of fire and appeared in United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Wednesday afternoon.
"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," said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. "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."
If convicted, Rinderknecht faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years.
According to a detailed affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, federal investigators determined the Palisades Fire was a "holdover" fire—a continuation of the Lachman Fire that began early in the morning on New Year's Day 2025. Although the Los Angeles City Fire Department quickly suppressed the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1, the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of dense vegetation, unbeknownst to firefighters.
On Jan. 7, heavy winds caused the underground fire to resurface and spread above ground in what became known as the Palisades Fire, which caused widespread damage in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
"At the request of state and local authorities, ATF took the lead in this complex investigation utilizing techniques unique to our agency's capabilities," said Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Los Angeles Field Division. "The horrific loss of life and property was significantly felt by ATF members, and we are honored to utilize our expertise to provide answers to this community."
The multi-agency investigation utilized witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data and analysis of fire dynamics and patterns at the scene to determine that Rinderknecht maliciously set the Lachman Fire just after midnight on Jan. 1 on land owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, an organization that received federal funding.
According to the affidavit, on the evening of Dec. 31, 2024, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Two passengers he drove on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. that night later told law enforcement they remembered Rinderknecht appeared agitated and angry.
After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades around 11:34 p.m., Rinderknecht—who once lived in that neighborhood—drove toward Skull Rock Trailhead and parked his car at approximately 11:38 p.m., as confirmed by video footage. He attempted to contact a former friend via Facebook Messenger but did not connect.
Rinderknecht then walked up a trail to where it connected to the Temescal Ridge Trail, then proceeded to a small clearing at the top of the hill sometimes referred to as the "Hidden Buddha" because of a hollowed-out remnant from a wooden utility pole where people sometimes placed small Buddha figurines. The former friend told investigators he and Rinderknecht had spent considerable time together at that clearing.
At approximately 11:47 p.m., Rinderknecht used his iPhone to take two videos in or near the Hidden Buddha clearing, panning around almost 360 degrees. No fire or fireworks were visible in the footage.
At approximately 11:54 p.m., Rinderknecht used his iPhone to listen to the song "Un Zder, Un The" by French artist Josman. According to the affidavit, an English translation of the French lyrics reveals a theme of despair and bitterness. Google records indicate Rinderknecht had listened to the same song nine times in the previous four days, and the music video for the song shows the main character lighting things on fire.
Environmental sensing platforms operated by the University of California at San Diego captured the first indication of the Lachman Fire at 12:12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025. Footage taken from the same camera 35 seconds earlier did not show a fire.
GPS data obtained from Rinderknecht's iPhone carrier shows he attempted to call 911 at approximately 12:12:31 a.m., but the call did not go through because he was out of cellphone range. The GPS data placed his iPhone in the Hidden Buddha clearing, approximately 30 to 40 feet from where investigators later determined the fire originated.
Rinderknecht made several more unsuccessful attempts to call 911 over the next minute while remaining in the Hidden Buddha clearing, watching the fire grow. He finally connected with 911 at approximately 12:17 a.m. when he was almost at the bottom of the trail. By that point, a local resident had already reported the fire to authorities.
According to the affidavit, during the 911 call, Rinderknecht typed a question into the ChatGPT app on his iPhone asking, "Are you at fault if a fire is lift [sic] because of your cigarettes." ChatGPT's response was "Yes," followed by an explanation.
After the call, Rinderknecht got into his car and drove away from the fire around 12:20 a.m. His movements were captured by camera footage from nearby residences. On his way down Palisades Drive, he passed fire engines driving up the same road responding to the fire. Rinderknecht then turned around and followed the fire engines back to the scene at what appeared to be a high rate of speed.
When Rinderknecht arrived back at the base of the hill, he walked back up the same trail he had used earlier that night to watch the fire and the firefighters. At approximately 1:02 a.m., he used his iPhone to take four short videos of the fire and firefighters from the trail.
"Based on my training and experience, arsonists sometimes call 911 to report the fires they have set, and arsonists sometimes like to watch firefighters respond to the fires that they have set," wrote Special Agent William M. Schry of ATF in the affidavit.
During an interview with law enforcement on Jan. 24, 2025, Rinderknecht lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire, according to the complaint. He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but geolocation data from his iPhone carrier showed he was standing in the Hidden Buddha clearing, approximately 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew.
Rinderknecht also correctly told investigators the Lachman Fire began on the hillside below and south of the Hidden Buddha clearing—non-public information that investigators believe he could only have known by witnessing the start of the fire.
"During his interview on Jan. 24, 2025, investigators noticed that Rinderknecht's carotid artery would pulsate and become visible whenever they asked Rinderknecht a question about how the fire started or who started it," the affidavit states. "Based on my training and experience, that indicates that Rinderknecht was extremely anxious as to that issue."
Investigators also found what appears to be a green, barbecue-style lighter in the glove compartment of Rinderknecht's car. Video footage from Rinderknecht's iPhone time-stamped on the afternoon of Dec. 31, 2024, showed what appears to be the same lighter inside Rinderknecht's apartment. Subsequent laboratory testing confirmed that DNA found on the lighter matched a sample of Rinderknecht's DNA.
During his Jan. 24 interview, Rinderknecht admitted he brought a lighter with him when he walked up to the Hidden Buddha clearing, but he claimed he could not remember what kind of lighter he brought.
The affidavit details several concerning digital records found on Rinderknecht's devices. On July 11, 2024, Rinderknecht provided a prompt to ChatGPT describing "a dystopian painting" featuring "a burning forest" with people running from the fire, leading to scenes depicting extreme wealth inequality. ChatGPT produced an image based on this description.
Acting U.S. Attorney Essayli noted during the announcement that "among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city."
On Nov. 1, 2024, Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT about burning a Bible, saying, "I literally burnt the Bible that I had. It felt amazing. I felt so liberated." On Aug. 30, 2024, he wrote to a family member, "Burned the Bible I had literally."
The investigative team conducted a systematic examination of the fire scene, developing, testing and eliminating multiple hypotheses. Using witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data and analysis of fire dynamics, investigators excluded other potential causes including fireworks, lightning, power lines, refraction of sunlight through glass and discarded cigarettes.
"Timing Advance" data from T-Mobile and AT&T showed no cellphones using those providers were in the vicinity of the Hidden Buddha clearing during the relevant time period other than Rinderknecht's iPhone.
The investigative team determined the cause of the Lachman Fire was incendiary—an intentional ignition in an area or under circumstances where there should not be a fire. The cause was determined to be the introduction of an open flame, likely a lighter, to combustible material such as vegetation or paper.
After extensive analysis, investigators determined the Palisades Fire was a holdover fire. During the Lachman Fire, a firebrand became seated within dense vegetation and continued to smolder and burn within the root structure. This underground burning was not visible to firefighters in the aftermath of the Lachman Fire or to members of the public who visited the hillside afterward.
The strong sustained winds and even stronger wind gusts in the area on the morning of Jan. 7, 2025, created conditions in which the holdover fire from the Lachman Fire ignited additional fuels and spread, becoming the Palisades Fire.
The Lachman Fire burned approximately 8 to 10 acres before being suppressed by LAFD on Jan. 1. The fire started on property owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority and spread onto land owned by California State Parks.
The Palisades Fire, which was first reported around 10:27 a.m. on Jan. 7, caused catastrophic damage. The blaze killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighborhood of Los Angeles. The fire ripped through hillside neighborhoods, destroying mansions with spectacular views of the ocean and downtown Los Angeles.
The fire burned approximately 202 acres of federal land within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, including several buildings within the Camp 8 Historic District. It also burned thousands of acres of property owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority and Topanga State Park, both organizations that receive federal financial assistance.
Full containment of the Palisades Fire was achieved on Jan. 31, 2025.
An outside review released in September found that a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings during the fires.
ATF investigated the matter with substantial assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department and the United States Forest Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Williams, Matthew W. O'Brien, Danbee C. Kim and Laura A. Alexander are prosecuting the case.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of a second blaze called the Eaton Fire, which broke out the same day in the community of Altadena and killed 18 people.
Rinderknecht is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The Associated Press contributed to this report