The man accused of starting the Palisades Fire that destroyed thousands of homes in January 2025 pleaded not guilty to revised federal arson charges against him.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, is accused of starting a fire along a hiking trail above Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1, 2025. The fire was not fully extinguished. Prosecutors allege that the small fire, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed about 6,000 homes and other structures.
In the first trial in June, the jury came to a deadlocked 10-2 decision in favor of acquittal on all three felony counts. The prosecution characterized Rinderknecht’s New Year’s Day fire and the Palisades fire as a single, continuous event.
A federal judge declared a mistrial June 25 after jurors failed to reach a verdict following nearly two days of deliberations.
Rinderknecht was initially charged with three federal counts in connection with the fire, including destruction of property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and setting timber afire.
The new indictment against the Uber driver narrows the case to two felony counts, dropping one of the charges he previously faced.
Rinderknecht was arrested in Florida nine months after the Palisades fire erupted.
In his closing statements of the June trial, Rinderknecht’s defense attorney Steven Haney argued that “this case is not about whether fire happened,” adding, “It’s about cause and integrity.”
“You might not like Jonathan at the end of this trial, but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty,” Haney added. “You’re not to convict a man if you don’t like him.”
Investigators found that the suspect was working as an Uber driver on New Year’s Eve, and that he parked and walked up a trail after dropping a passenger off in the Palisades. He allegedly took videos showing himself lighting objects on fire.
His retrial is scheduled to start Nov. 2.
