The investigation into the cause of this year's deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County has resulted in an arrest, authorities confirmed on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Per an initial report from regional outlet KABC, seen here, officials from multiple agencies were first announced to be providing additional information on the arrest at an imminent press conference.
Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli ultimately detailed the circumstances leading to the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht at that presser, citing a ChatGPT-made dystopian painting “showing, in part, a burning forest and a crowd fleeing from it” when discussing evidence.
Also cited by Essayli at Wednesday’s presser were cell phone records and “false statements” the suspect, who's said to have worked as an Uber driver, allegedly made to police.
“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,” Essayli said in a separate statement shared to X on Wednesday. “The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht's started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day -- a blaze that eventually turned into one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction.”
Rinderknecht, pictured below, is expected to make his initial court appearance later today in Orlando, Florida.
The devastating Palisades Fire led to 12 deaths and the destruction of thousands of structures. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California goes into further detail on what led to this week's arrest, stating that Rinderknecht, also known as “Jonathan Rinder” and “Jon Rinder,” was living in Melbourne, Florida at the time of his arrest. Previously, officials said, he resided in the Pacific Palisades area.
Rinderknecht is charged with destruction of property by means of fire, with an affidavit filed alongside the complaint adding that the Palisades Fire was determined by local officials to have been a “holdover fire.” In this instance, that means the Palisades Fire is considered a “continuation” of the Lachman Fire, which started in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2025.
If convicted as charged, Rinderknecht, also accused of taking iPhone videos of the scene of the fire, faces as much as 20 years behind bars.