A 29-year-old man charged with sparking one of the most destructive blazes in California history likely used a lighter to start a fire on New Year's Day that smoldered underground and reignited almost a week later.
Federal law enforcement officials charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with lighting the January 1 fire that was extinguished by fire crews only to flare up days later during high winds, acting US Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference. Rinderknecht was arrested on Tuesday, October 7, in Florida and made his first court appearance on Wednesday in Orlando on charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison.
The Palisades Fire − one of two that broke out on January 7, killing more than 30 people and destroying more than 17,000 homes and buildings while burning for days in Los Angeles County − ripped through hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, destroying mansions with spectacular views of the ocean and downtown LA.
Investigators said on Wednesday that Rinderknecht had been working as an Uber driver, and after dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, he parked and walked up a trail. He then used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a rap song with a music video that showed objects being lit on fire, prosecutors said.
He fled the scene after starting the fire, but returned to the same trail to watch it burn, Essayli said. "He left as soon as he saw the fire trucks were headed to the location. He turned around and went back up there. And he took some video and, and watched them fight the fire," Essayli said.
Rinderknecht also made several 911 calls to report the fire, according to a criminal complaint. During an interview on January 24, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn't witnessed it, the complaint said. He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.
The suspect was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call 911 and his question to ChatGPT about a cigarette lighting a fire indicated he "wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire," the complaint said.
Investigators still haven't determined the cause of a second blaze called the Eaton Fire, which broke out on the same day in the community of Altadena and killed 19 people. Both fires reduced block after block of entire neighborhoods to gray and black debris, destroying homes, schools, businesses and churches. While rebuilding is underway in some neighborhoods, it will take years. Many homeowners will not be able to afford it, even those with insurance .