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.
— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 8, 2025
⁰The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht's started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day --… pic.twitter.com/UzrFa0Lmrz
The post details the federal arrest of Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old Florida resident and former Uber driver, for allegedly igniting the January 2025 Palisades Fire that scorched 23,448 acres, destroyed nearly 1,000 structures, and claimed at least 12 lives in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors cite digital evidence from his devices, including a ChatGPT-generated image of a burning city, as linking him to the "malicious" act; he reportedly fled the scene while following responding fire engines.
Thread replies predominantly mock climate change attributions to the blaze while decrying local response shortcomings, such as empty reservoirs and inadequate firefighting resources, underscoring ongoing debates over arson versus systemic failures in wildfire management.
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