Jury selection is set to begin Monday for Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a Florida man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The fire, which occurred last year, claimed the lives of 12 people and scorched thousands of homes and businesses, making it historically destructive. Federal prosecutors said Rinderknecht, who was arrested in his Melbourne home in October 2025, intentionally set a Jan. 1, 2025, fire on Hidden Buddha Hill and is responsible for the blaze. Prosecutors further allege that the larger Palisades Fire that broke out Jan. 7 was a holdover fire that continued smoldering from the earlier blaze.Court filings describe Rinderknecht as isolated and increasingly erratic, noting that he searched phrases like “Free Luigi Mangione” and “Let’s take down all the billionaires.” Prosecutors allege that he took a screenshot on Jan. 3, 2025, of an article about Mangione entering a not guilty plea in a criminal case.Investigators said Rinderknecht later compared the arson to the killing Mangione is accused of, calling it retaliation against the wealthy. Prosecutors say they may call up to 50 witnesses and expect the case to last as long as 10 days. If convicted, Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison. What was the Palisades Fire?The fires forced thousands of people to evacuate. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history.The blaze began on Jan. 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighborhood of LA.News of the trial drew mixed reactions from residents of the Pacific Palisades, who have spent the last year and a half tussling with insurance claims and red tape for building permits as they try to regain normalcy in their lives.“It drums up all of the emotions over this past year and makes me think about all of the suffering and chaos of all of our neighbors and friends’ lives,” said Meghan Wald, whose home was among the few left standing in her block.Palisades streets are now crowded with construction vehicles and workers, and charred trees have recovered their luscious green. But vacant lots abound, filled with weeds and wildflowers and the skeletal frames of homes. Of the more than 450 construction projects, only 17 homes have been certified for occupancy.Wald and her family now live in nearby Brentwood, but she visits weekly to support the handful of businesses that have reopened, including her hair salon, her usual CVS pharmacy and the Palisades Garden Cafe, where her kids used to grab snacks after school.“It’s great to see the shops that we know and love coming back,” Wald said. “It’s also hard to imagine what it’s going to be like. It will never be the same.”Political falloutThe fire has been a central theme in incumbent Mayor Karen Bass’ reelection bid as she defends the city’s recovery process. Bass was in Ghana as part of a presidential delegation when the flames ignited. One of her challengers, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, lost his home in the blaze and has made what he calls municipal ineptitude a central campaign message. It’s not yet clear if Pratt won enough votes in the primary to face Bass in November’s runoff election.Judge Anne Hwang has ruled that the defense can’t introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the fire department, saying it was irrelevant and could confuse the jury.Defense attorneys had planned to include testimony from a firefighter that the earlier fire was visibly smoldering when first responders left the scene. That was gathered as part of a civil lawsuit filed by fire victims against the city.Haney said he also plans to argue that the government lacks solid evidence or witness testimony linking Rinderknecht to the first fire, and that first responders heard fireworks in the vicinity of where the blaze started.Prosecutors say geolocation data from Rinderknecht’s phone shows that he was in the area of the fire as it rapidly grew, and investigators later seized a Bic barbecue lighter from his car that he admitted to having with him on the trail. They will claim he was upset about a failed relationship as well as thwarted plans for New Year’s Eve, and that he ranted to his Uber passengers that evening about being angry at the world, according to an April 29 pretrial memo filed by the U.S. attorney’s office.Lena Loh, who opened a skin care clinic in the Palisades three months before the fire, said Rinderknecht’s prosecution gives her no sense of relief. She has been struggling to reopen and is looking to leave because she can’t sustain the business financially anymore.“I don’t necessarily think putting him on trial is gonna fix anything,” she said. “This is a city issue. The city needed to manage that small speck of fire better.”
Jury selection is set to begin Monday for Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a Florida man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
The fire, which occurred last year, claimed the lives of 12 people and scorched thousands of homes and businesses, making it historically destructive.
Federal prosecutors said Rinderknecht, who was arrested in his Melbourne home in October 2025, intentionally set a Jan. 1, 2025, fire on Hidden Buddha Hill and is responsible for the blaze.
Prosecutors further allege that the larger Palisades Fire that broke out Jan. 7 was a holdover fire that continued smoldering from the earlier blaze.
Court filings describe Rinderknecht as isolated and increasingly erratic, noting that he searched phrases like “Free Luigi Mangione” and “Let’s take down all the billionaires.”
Prosecutors allege that he took a screenshot on Jan. 3, 2025, of an article about Mangione entering a not guilty plea in a criminal case.
Investigators said Rinderknecht later compared the arson to the killing Mangione is accused of, calling it retaliation against the wealthy.
Prosecutors say they may call up to 50 witnesses and expect the case to last as long as 10 days.
If convicted, Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison.
What was the Palisades Fire?
The fires forced thousands of people to evacuate. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history.
The blaze began on Jan. 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighborhood of LA.
News of the trial drew mixed reactions from residents of the Pacific Palisades, who have spent the last year and a half tussling with insurance claims and red tape for building permits as they try to regain normalcy in their lives.
“It drums up all of the emotions over this past year and makes me think about all of the suffering and chaos of all of our neighbors and friends’ lives,” said Meghan Wald, whose home was among the few left standing in her block.
Palisades streets are now crowded with construction vehicles and workers, and charred trees have recovered their luscious green. But vacant lots abound, filled with weeds and wildflowers and the skeletal frames of homes. Of the more than 450 construction projects, only 17 homes have been certified for occupancy.
Wald and her family now live in nearby Brentwood, but she visits weekly to support the handful of businesses that have reopened, including her hair salon, her usual CVS pharmacy and the Palisades Garden Cafe, where her kids used to grab snacks after school.
“It’s great to see the shops that we know and love coming back,” Wald said. “It’s also hard to imagine what it’s going to be like. It will never be the same.”
Political fallout
The fire has been a central theme in incumbent Mayor Karen Bass’ reelection bid as she defends the city’s recovery process. Bass was in Ghana as part of a presidential delegation when the flames ignited. One of her challengers, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, lost his home in the blaze and has made what he calls municipal ineptitude a central campaign message. It’s not yet clear if Pratt won enough votes in the primary to face Bass in November’s runoff election.
Judge Anne Hwang has ruled that the defense can’t introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the fire department, saying it was irrelevant and could confuse the jury.
Defense attorneys had planned to include testimony from a firefighter that the earlier fire was visibly smoldering when first responders left the scene. That was gathered as part of a civil lawsuit filed by fire victims against the city.
Haney said he also plans to argue that the government lacks solid evidence or witness testimony linking Rinderknecht to the first fire, and that first responders heard fireworks in the vicinity of where the blaze started.
Prosecutors say geolocation data from Rinderknecht’s phone shows that he was in the area of the fire as it rapidly grew, and investigators later seized a Bic barbecue lighter from his car that he admitted to having with him on the trail. They will claim he was upset about a failed relationship as well as thwarted plans for New Year’s Eve, and that he ranted to his Uber passengers that evening about being angry at the world, according to an April 29 pretrial memo filed by the U.S. attorney’s office.
Lena Loh, who opened a skin care clinic in the Palisades three months before the fire, said Rinderknecht’s prosecution gives her no sense of relief. She has been struggling to reopen and is looking to leave because she can’t sustain the business financially anymore.
“I don’t necessarily think putting him on trial is gonna fix anything,” she said. “This is a city issue. The city needed to manage that small speck of fire better.”
