Palisades Fire suspect must remain jailed while awaiting trial, judge rules
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The 29-year-old man accused of starting a fire that eventually turned into the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire must remain jailed while he awaits trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Rozella A. Oliver denied bond to Jonathan Rinderknecht, saying he must be kept in custody due to his mental health and distress he caused his sister and her family. Rinderknecht's father testified in support of his release, denying that his son had mental health issues.
Rinderknecht was arrested Oct. 7 in Florida, where he staying at his sister's house. A judge ordered that he remain jailed after a prosecutor said he had traits of an arsonist and his family had worried about his declining mental state. Prosecutors also argued Rinderknecht was a flight risk because he had family in France and spoke French.
After being brought to Los Angeles, Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one county of timber set a fire.
If convicted on all charges, Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison.
A trial date has been set for April 21, 2026. The trial is expected to last seven to 10 days.
Timeline of Rinderknecht's alleged actions leading up to fire
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 in his car but turned around when he saw fire engines approach, Essayli said.
"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.
"Although firefighters suppressed the blaze, the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation," Essayli said during a press conference earlier this month. "It smoldered underground for about a week until on January 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 City history."
In the complaint, the ATF calls the Palisades Fire a "holdover fire." The complaint shows images of the burn scar and where both fires started.
During an interview Jan. 24, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn't witnessed it, the complaint said.
He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.
The suspect 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 determined the Jan. 1 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.
Federal prosecutors also allege that the suspect's ChatGPT log shows he created an image depicting a burning forest and crowds fleeing it.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this story stated Rinderknecht's trial was scheduled for next month. It's set for April next year.
