Overview
- Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was taken into custody in Florida this week and is set for transfer to the Central District of California.
- He faces a federal count of destruction of property by fire, which prosecutors say carries a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison.
- Court filings describe video, call records, geolocation data placing him at the origin area, and items seized with fuel traces, including a barbecue-style lighter in his car.
- Investigators allege an initial Jan. 1 “Lachman Fire” smoldered underground and was reignited by Santa Ana winds on Jan. 7, driving the catastrophic Palisades blaze.
- The wildfire killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures over roughly 23,000 acres, and authorities say the probe remains active to determine any additional charges or accomplices.