BREAKING UPDATE: Palisades fire arson suspect named as Florida man Jonathan Rinderknecht

A 29-year-old Florida man has been arrested for intentionally starting the Palisades Fire that ravaged Los Angeles in January. Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli announced that Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested on a criminal complaint that alleges he started the massive wildfire. 

Essayli wrote, "The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day -- a blaze that eventually turned into one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction. Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city."

Essayli said in a press conference that Rinderknecht has been charged with "destruction of property by means of fire, a felony that carries a mandatory minimum 5-year federal prison sentence, and is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison."

Essayli said in the months leading up to the fire, authorities found Rinderknecht had been "generating some really concerning images up on ChatGPT which appears to show a dystopian city being burnt down." Rinderknecht was the only person in the area where the fire started, he said. 

Rinderknecht allegedly returned to Pacific Palisades late on New Year’s Eve after finishing a shift as an Uber driver. Essayli said two of his passengers told authorities that Rinderknecht appeared "agitated and angry that night." After dropping off a passenger in the Pacific Palisades, Rinderknecht unsuccessfully attempted to contact a former friend. 

He then allegedly exited his car, walked down a nearby trail, took videos at a nearby hilltop, and listened to a rap song "who’s music video included objects being lit on fire." Rinderknecht had allegedly listened to the song and watched the video "repeatedly" in the days leading up to the fire. 

The charges come after an extensive investigation undertaken by the ATF’s Los Angeles field division, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department. He was arrested in Florida and is set to be transferred to the Central District of California for trial, per Reuters.

The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres, destroyed around 6,000 structures, and caused around $150 billion in damage. Twelve people were killed. The fire was determined by arson investigators to have begun in the hills of a state park that overlooks the Pacific Palisades. The blaze was contained around 24 days later after it burned through large parts of the Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu.

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