Authorities have made an arrest in the devastating Palisades fire, which burned tens of thousands of acres and killed 12 people in Los Angeles in January. CNN reports:
Florida resident Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is facing a federal charge of destruction of property by means of fire, according to Bill Essayli, the acting US attorney for Southern California.
“The investigation into the Palisades Fire of January 2025 was lengthy, complex and, as I mentioned, extremely thorough,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference on Wednesday.
🚨BREAKING: DOJ announces the arrest of a 29-year-old man suspected of starting the Palisades fire earlier this year.
The fire killed 12 people, destroyed more than 6,800 homes and businesses, and damaged over 1,000 other buildings.
“The complaint unsealed today charges the… pic.twitter.com/3k92xD9JCA
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 8, 2025
The fire started on January 7 and ended up as the third-most destructive wildfire in Southern California history. Authorities had suspected that arson was the cause.
Rinderknecht faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and potentially up to 20 years. According to the Department of Justice, he generated images of a burning city on ChatGPT.
Today we are announcing the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.
⁰The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht’s started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day –… pic.twitter.com/UzrFa0Lmrz— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 8, 2025
Rinderknecht also made false statements when law enforcement questioned him.
DOJ reveals the Palisades arson suspect did NOT have a criminal history BUT he did make false statements to authorities during questioning. pic.twitter.com/v54FzUaEzw
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 8, 2025
This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.
