Overview
- The indictment charges Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, with destruction of property by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce, and timber set afire, raising his potential sentence to 5 to 45 years if convicted.
- A Florida judge canceled a planned Friday hearing and ordered his transfer to California; he has been held without bond since his Oct. 7 arrest and is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
- Investigators cite witness statements, surveillance footage, cellphone geolocation placing him about 30 feet from the initial blaze, and digital artifacts including ChatGPT content.
- Authorities say the Jan. 1 Lachman Fire smoldered underground and resurfaced on Jan. 7 as the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people, burned 23,448 acres, and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
- Prosecutors say federal jurisdiction applies because the fire involved federally funded land and later burned federal property, and they have suggested additional allegations could follow.