New charges filed against suspect in deadly Los Angeles fire

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, is set for a new trial in October after a previous jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on charges related to the January 2025 Palisades Fire. The blaze, which investigators say smoldered for days before strong winds ignited it on January 7, 2025, claimed the lives of 12 people and devastated the affluent Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

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The fire was 'smoldering,' a continuation of the Lachman fire that began early on New Year's Day 2025.

Prosecutors have revised the charges against Rinderknecht, dropping one of the three original counts and altering the other two. He has consistently maintained his innocence, with ten out of twelve jurors in the first trial reportedly siding with him. Authorities allege Rinderknecht intentionally started a fire on New Year's Day that smoldered underground until January 7, when it erupted and spread rapidly.

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He went to the Skull Rock trail, walked around the area and recorded videos, while listening to a song whose video showed objects catching fire.

Evidence presented by the prosecution includes a ChatGPT-generated image depicting a city engulfed in flames, which was found on Rinderknecht's digital devices. Investigators also used iPhone data to place Rinderknecht near the fire's origin point. He allegedly lied to authorities about his whereabouts but his phone's location data contradicted his statements. Rinderknecht, who previously worked as an Uber driver, had moved to Florida before his arrest last October. The Palisades Fire was the most destructive of several fires that swept through Los Angeles in January, burning nearly 9,500 hectares and destroying over 6,000 structures.

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His iPhone data showed he was only nine meters from the fire's origin point.