Federal prosecutors are taking another crack at the man accused of sparking the devastating Palisades Fire — but this time, they’re narrowing the case.
Prosecutors filed a revised indictment Thursday against Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, dropping one of the three felony counts he previously faced and reshaping the remaining charges around two separate fires.
The first count accuses Rinderknecht of igniting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Day 2025. The second alleges that he caused the destruction that followed when the blaze was reignited days later as the catastrophic Palisades Fire.
The move comes less than two months after Rinderknecht’s first trial ended in a stunning mistrial, with jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal.
Jurors were unable to reach a verdict despite being sent back to deliberate, with the foreman ultimately telling the judge there was nothing the court could do to help them reach an agreement.
Rinderknecht is due back in court next week for a status conference, with his retrial scheduled for September.
Federal prosecutors allege Rinderknecht intentionally started the Lachman Fire around midnight on New Year’s Day along a hiking trail in the Pacific Palisades Highlands because he was frustrated with his place in society and angry at wealthy people.
The government’s case at trial centered on cellphone records, surveillance footage and Rinderknecht’s behavior after the fire. Prosecutors said he had visited the trail “hundreds of times” and allegedly used a green Bic lighter later found in his car.
Rinderknecht repeatedly called 911 after the blaze erupted.
“There’s a fire, there’s a fire,” Rinderknecht could be heard saying in the 911 call. “There’s a fire a top of Pacific Palisades Highland.”
While speaking to the dispatcher, he also screen-recorded himself asking ChatGPT, “Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes.”
But his defense team argued prosecutors never proved he started the initial blaze — or that the Lachman Fire caused the inferno that tore through Pacific Palisades a week later.
“There is no evidence that he started the fire. This is all circumstantial,” attorney Steve Haney said.
Haney also argued there was no conclusive evidence that embers from the first fire survived underground and later reignited amid powerful winds.
The Palisades Fire ultimately destroyed about 7,000 homes and businesses, caused an estimated $150 billion in damage and killed 12 people.
Rinderknecht’s first trial also exposed juror skepticism about the government’s case. One juror, Syrena of Lompoc, told The California Post prosecutors failed to make a convincing case.
“It’s disappointing because of how much money and time they put into the same thing. I don’t know … but like, yeah, bullsh–t,” she said.
The revised indictment now puts the two fires at the heart of Rinderknecht’s upcoming retrial.
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