US EditionSuspect Charged with Sparking Deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles
Jonathan Rinderknecht is charged with maliciously igniting a fire that destroyed over 6,800 structures and killed 12 people in one of Los Angeles' most destructive wildfires.
- On Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht in Florida, charging him with maliciously starting the Palisades Fire; he appeared in federal court in Orlando.
- According to the criminal complaint, Rinderknecht walked up the Skull Rock Trailhead to Hidden Buddha hill and ignited vegetation with a lighter, starting the blaze.
- GPS and phone logs show Rinderknecht within 30 and 40 feet of the fire's origin as he filmed videos and made failed 911 call attempts at approximately 12:12:31 a.m. and 12:12:50 a.m.
- If convicted, Jonathan Rinderknecht faces a federal felony penalty of five to 20 years in prison after the Palisades Fire killed 12 people and destroyed 6,837 structures in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.
- The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local agencies, while Los Angeles County review found outdated alert policies delayed evacuations after January fires burned 57,000 acres and killed at least 31 people.
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122 Articles
NewsNation
UpstractTimeline is key in Palisade Fire suspect's defense: O.J.'s former lawyer
(NewsNation) — An attorney who represented O.J. Simpson says the timeline of events in the case of the suspect in the Palisades wildfire investigation will be crucial in maintaining his innocence. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was arrested in Florida and charged with destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht was a former resident of the Pacific Palisades area, authorities said. "There is analysis that seeks to exclude, for example, a c…
Man charged with sparking the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 29-year-old man has been charged with sparking California’s deadly Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in its history, authorities said Wednesday. Federal officials said Jonathan Rinderknecht, who lived in the area, started a small fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground before reigniting nearly a week later and roaring through Pacific Palisades, home to many of Los Angeles’ rich and famous. The f…
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