Florida Man Charged In Deadly Pacific Palisades Inferno

A former Los Angeles resident turned Florida man has been arrested and charged with starting one of the most devastating wildfires in city history – a blaze that ripped through Pacific Palisades in January 2025, killing a dozen residents and reducing multimillion-dollar homes to ash, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

Prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29 – who also went by “Jonathan Rinder” and “Jon Rinder” – maliciously set the fire that became the Palisades Fire, igniting a catastrophe that scorched some of LA’s wealthiest hillside neighborhoods.

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.
⁰The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht’s started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day –… pic.twitter.com/UzrFa0Lmrz

— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 8, 2025

The Melbourne, Florida, resident was arrested Tuesday and charged with destruction of property by means of fire, a federal felony that carries a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.

According to journalist Matt Foldi, Rinderknecht donated to the Biden campaign.

NEWS:

Jonathan Rinderknecht is a Joe Biden for President donor https://t.co/iM9pGKCKhZ pic.twitter.com/QkRVr8kh1P

— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) October 8, 2025

“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, vowing justice for victims who “lost everything.”

He had also allegedly used ChatGPT last July to create a “dystopian” image of a forest burning.

BREAKING: Federal investigators say the man responsible for the catastrophic Palisades fire, Jonathan Rinderknecht, asked Chat GPT last July to create this “dystopian” image that shows a forest burning on the left and people running from it. In the middle, people in “poverty.”… pic.twitter.com/8VKCFn6d48

— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) October 8, 2025

According to a federal affidavit, the inferno traces back to an earlier blaze – the Lachman Fire – that broke out just after midnight on New Year’s Day 2025 near Skull Rock Trailhead.

Authorities say Rinderknecht, then driving for Uber on New Year’s Eve, appeared “agitated and angry” to passengers he picked up between 10:15 and 11:15 p.m. After his last drop-off in Pacific Palisades, he allegedly drove toward his old neighborhood, parked near the trail, and walked into the hills.

Investigators say cellphone data and surveillance footage place him at the scene as the initial fire ignited. Rinderknecht reportedly recorded videos on his iPhone, listened to a rap song whose music video showed things being lit on fire – and, minutes later, the Lachman Fire erupted.

The Fire That Wouldn’t Die

Though firefighters knocked it down that morning, the blaze smoldered underground, feeding on roots and dry vegetation. A week later, on January 7, fierce winds reignited it above ground, birthing the Palisades Fire – which tore through hundreds of acres, burned federal land, and destroyed homes worth tens of millions.

Officials say Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times that night but initially couldn’t connect because of poor cell service. When he finally did, he was already leaving the area – and even passed fire engines rushing toward the scene before doubling back to film the chaos.

Caught in His Own Lies

Weeks later, when questioned by investigators, Rinderknecht allegedly lied about his location during the fire’s start. Phone records showed he was standing within 30 feet of the blaze when it began – far closer than he claimed.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper said his agency led the complex probe “to provide answers to this community” after “the horrific loss of life and property” that followed.

Rinderknecht made his first court appearance Wednesday in the Middle District of Florida. Federal prosecutors said the case underscores how a single act of malice can unleash catastrophic destruction – and vowed to hold the suspect accountable.

As for Pacific Palisades, residents are still rebuilding nearly a year later – haunted by the memory of a fire that started with one man, a spark, and a night gone horribly wrong.

*  *  * Grab some coffee, get a tumbler…