Uber driver accused of intentionally starting fire that destroyed Pacific Palisades [View all]
Source: Los Angeles Times
The most destructive inferno in Los Angeles history, which charred a devastating path through Pacific Palisades and Malibu in early January, was a rekindling fire that an Uber driver intentionally set days earlier near a popular hiking area, federal investigators alleged.
Authorities on Wednesday also announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is suspected of setting the initial fire on New Year’s Eve. Rinderknecht, of Florida, was charged with maliciously starting what eventually became the Palisades fire. Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city, said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
“While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy,” Essayli said.
The finding affirms a long suspected theory and comes after a nine month probe into the cause of the Palisades fire, which charred 23,400 acres and leveled more than 6,800 structures, including many homes in Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Twelve people died in the fire.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-08/palisades-fire-arrest
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