Prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht set the fire to take revenge on society. His defense claims this is an “ridiculous” slur against his political beliefs.
Palisades fire intentionally set, arrest made
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested for starting what would become the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
The political leanings of the man accused of arson are a key issue in a high-stakes lawsuit over the cause of the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.
The wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles’ wealthy Pacific Palisades neighborhood were part of a revenge plot by a man with a grudge against the wealthy, prosecutors said in opening statements on June 10.
But Jonathan Rinderknecht’s defense says the theory is an “ridiculous” attempt to link his political beliefs to the case.
Prosecutors argued that Linderknecht set the fire because he wanted “revenge on society, because he blamed society for all his problems.”
A month before the trial, prosecutors argued that the former Palisades resident was “obsessed” with Luigi Mangione, who was charged in December 2024 with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. According to court documents, the defendant said the arson could have been an act of “desperation” comparable to Thompson’s murder.
Steve Haney, one of Rinderknecht’s attorneys, said Rinderknecht had become a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the Luckman Fire, which flared into the Palisades Fire. He accused prosecutors of “character assassination by advancing inaccurate, misleading, and even false allegations.”
Investigators said in court documents that Linderknecht, who was working as an Uber driver, had dropped off passengers hours before the Lachman fire and walked along a path to the top of the hill where the fire started. Who actually caused the fire is one of the central issues in the case.
Linderknecht is charged with three arson-related charges for starting the Lachman fire on January 1, 2025. Although the initial fire was extinguished, it continued to smolder in secret until it flared up a week later as the Palisades Fire.
Prosecutors will need to prove that Linderknecht acted “with malice,” which would require that he either intentionally caused the damage to the property or ignored the possibility of harm that could result from his actions. Prosecutors do not need to prove a specific motive or plan existed.
Prosecutors said in a memorandum that Rinderknecht used search terms such as “Free Luigi Mangione,” “Kill all the billionaires,” and “Kill all the billionaires on Reddit,” a claim Haney strongly criticized.
“I think it’s just ridiculous that the government is trying to use my client’s left-wing ideology to politicize and motivate him, and worse, use it as evidence,” Haney said. “This is America. We should be able to believe, think, and say things contrary to the beliefs of others without fear of having our ideas criminalized, and this is the country we have become.”
Meanwhile, some residents sued the local government over its response to the fire.
In October, lawyers filed a lawsuit on behalf of residents against the city of Los Angeles, the state of California, and several utility companies, alleging they were responsible for the Palisades fire.
Specifically, the lawsuit says drainage of local reservoirs depleted fire hydrants, and a lack of land inspection after the Luckman Fire left embers smoldering.
The outcome of the arson case could also affect other civil lawsuits against local authorities, Reuters and the Los Angeles Times reported. In this case, residents and their insurance companies could be largely responsible for the damage caused by the fire.
Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty in October. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 45 years in prison.
Contributor: Janine Santucci
