Prosecutors narrow their case ahead of the retrial of the man accused of setting the Palisades fire
The revised charges drop one count and tie the alleged ignition of the Lachman Fire to the later Palisades Fire damage, prosecutors said.
- Prosecutors filed a revised indictment Thursday against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of causing the Palisades Fire, removing one previous count and redefining the remaining two charges.
- The "first superseding indictment" charges Rinderknecht with igniting the Jan. 1 Lachman Fire and causing damage from the Jan. 7 Palisades Fire, which destroyed more than 6,800 buildings.
- During the first trial in June, a mistrial was declared after Ten out of 12 jurors favored acquittal. Defense attorneys argued that Prosecutors lacked direct evidence and failed to consider fireworks as a potential cause.
- District Judge Anne Hwang is holding a status conference for an arraignment on Wednesday. Rinderknecht is due in court next week, with His retrial scheduled for September.
- Throughout the first trial, Federal Prosecutors argued Rinderknecht was motivated by anger toward wealthy people and presented recorded interviews and a digital trail showing he acted alone on New Year 2025.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Prosecutors Revise Charges Against Palisades Fire Arson Suspect
The man accused of setting a blaze that grew into the deadly Palisades Fire, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, was facing one less criminal charge Friday, with federal prosecutors obtaining a revised indictment in the case. In June, a federal court jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquitting Jonathan Rinderknecht on three arson-related charges stemming from the 2025 firestorm, which prosecutors say began on New Year’s Day as the …
Charges against Palisades Fire arson suspect revised
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - The man accused of setting a blaze that grew into the deadly Palisades Fire, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, was facing one less criminal charge today, with federal prosecutors obtaining a revised indictment in the case. In June, a federal court jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquitting The post Charges against Palisades Fire arson suspect revised appeared first on KESQ.
Hanford Sentinel
Feds revamp charges against Palisades arson suspect after mistrial
LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors this week unveiled a new indictment against the man accused of igniting last year’s deadly fire in the Palisades, nixing one of the three original charges and revising the other two after a mistrial in federal…
Associated Press News
Prosecutors narrow their case ahead of the retrial of the man accused of setting the Palisades fire
Federal prosecutors will pursue fewer charges in their second attempt to convict a man accused of starting the deadly 2025 wildfire that became the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history.
Accused Palisades Fire starter hit with new indictment as feds shift tactics after mistrial
Federal prosecutors are taking another crack at the man accused of sparking the devastating Palisades Fire — but this time, they’re narrowing the case. Prosecutors filed a revised indictment Thursday against Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, dropping one of the three felony counts he previously faced and reshaping the remaining charges around two separate fires. Jonathan Rinderknecht,...
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