Man Pleads Not Guilty to Starting Devastating Palisades Fire
LOS ANGELES – Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he started the Palisades Fire, a deadly blaze that began on January 7, 2025, and claimed 12 lives.
"I'm pissed off at the world." — Accused comments allegedly made by Rinderknecht on New Year's Eve.
The Alleged Origin
Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht started a fire on January 1 that smoldered underground before re-emerging a week later to become the catastrophic Palisades Fire.
A pretrial memo details disturbing behavior: On New Year's Eve, passengers reported Rinderknecht driving erratically and ranting about being "pissed off at the world." Prosecutors also claim he referenced the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism in conversations with both passengers and investigators.
Defense Challenges Narrative
Attorney Steve Haney maintains his client's innocence and dismissed the alleged motive—that Rinderknecht was upset about not having New Year's Eve plans—as self-explanatory.
Key defense arguments:
- A firefighter testified they noticed smoldering ground on January 2 and alerted a supervisor about hot spots.
- A battalion chief testified that he walked the perimeter four times and confirmed all hot spots were extinguished.
- Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore has commissioned an independent report on the response to the January 1 fire.
Haney emphasized that this exculpatory evidence was unavailable to the defense at the time of the indictment.
Upcoming Trial
Rinderknecht's trial is scheduled to begin June 8.