Liputan6.com, Jakarta Recently, a significant arrest has been made in connection with the Palisades Fire, one of the worst disasters in Los Angeles history.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old man, is now in the spotlight after he was arrested on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, near his Florida home.
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The arrest, announced a day later by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli.
Rinderknecht was charged with federal charges of willful destruction of property by fire, a serious charge that directly links him to the origin of the Palisades Fire.
He is now facing a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Rinderknecht's initial hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, October 8, 2025, in federal court in Orlando, Florida.
How the Palisades Fire Happened
The Palisades Fire stemmed from an incident known as the Lachman Fire, which investigators believe was intentionally started by Jonathan Rinderknecht on New Year's Day, January 1, 2025, in Pacific Palisades.
Although the Lachman Fire was brought under control, unexpectedly strong winds triggered the underground fire to re-emerge and spread rapidly aboveground on January 7, 2025.
The fire killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures, including homes and businesses, and damaged more than 1,000 others.
More than 23,000 acres of land were burned in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Santa Monica Mountains.
Jonathan Rinderknecht's Background
Jonathan Rinderknecht, also known as "Jonathan Rinder" or "Jon Rinder," was a former Pacific Palisades resident before moving to Melbourne, Florida.
On New Year's Eve 2024, he was working as an Uber driver.
Two of his passengers reported that Rinderknecht appeared "agitated and angry" between 10:15 PM and 11:15 PM, hours before the Lachman Fire began.
Investigators strongly suspect that Jonathan Rinderknecht intentionally started the fire using an "open flame"—possibly a lighter—that ignited flammable vegetation or paper.
His attempts to cover his tracks were also uncovered; He called 911 several times to report the fire, but geolocation data indicated he was very close to the fire.
Months before the fire, Rinderknecht created a drawing on ChatGPT depicting a "dystopian painting" of a forest burning and people fleeing.
Furthermore, the ChatGPT prompt also requested images of wealthy people "relaxing, watching the world burn, and watching people struggle."
Investigation and Official Response
The investigation into Jonathan Rinderknecht's case involved The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with significant support from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the United States Forest Service.
The investigation has collected over 13,000 items of evidence, conducting hundreds of interviews, and following up on over 200 leads.
Bill Essayli, acting U.S. Attorney General, said that this arrest is a crucial step in uncovering how the horrific Palisades Fire started and hopes this arrest will provide clarity for the thousands of Californians whose lives were upended by the disaster.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also expressed his gratitude to the investigators for their dedication.
Uber, where Jonathan Rinderknecht worked as a driver, has been working with the ATF to provide data on Rinderknecht's whereabouts at the time of the incident and immediately removed Rinderknecht's access to its platform.