Arson trial begins for man accused of sparking deadly Palisades fire
Key takeaways
- Rinderknecht’s defense attorney countered that his client, a 29-year-old former Uber driver, had only gone up on a hill on New Year’s Eve 2024 to watch fireworks and had immediately called 911 when he spotted the fire.
- “Jonathan did not start the fire,” defense attorney Steve Haney told jurors.
- At Rinderknecht’s trial, which began this week in a downtown L.A.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested Oct. 7, 2025 in Florida for allegedly sparking the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed much of the community. Attorneys gave opening statements in his trial on Wednesday. (U.S. Attorney’s Office) By Brittny Mejia Staff Writer Follow June 10, 2026 11:49 AM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
In their opening statement, prosecutors told a federal jury on Wednesday that Jonathan Rinderknecht, driven by a desire for revenge against society, used a lighter to intentionally set what would eventually become the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
Rinderknecht’s defense attorney countered that his client, a 29-year-old former Uber driver, had only gone up on a hill on New Year’s Eve 2024 to watch fireworks and had immediately called 911 when he spotted the fire. The evidence, he said, would show the fire was caused by fireworks.