Prosecutors say the man accused of starting Los Angeles' deadly 2025 Palisades Fire wanted "revenge on society" after he was left alone on New Year's Eve and had no plans to celebrate.
Federal prosecutors allege that Jonathan Rinderknecht, a former Uber driver in his late 20s, deliberately set an early-morning blaze known as the Lachman Fire in Pacific Palisades just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2025.
Investigators say that the fire later reignited and grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed at least 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes across Los Angeles' coastal hills. The Palisades Fire has been described as one of the most destructive wildfires in the city's history, according to People.
In opening statements this week in federal court in Los Angeles, prosecutors told jurors that Rinderknecht was upset after a recent breakup and furious that he had no invitation to a New Year's Eve party.
They said he exchanged angry text messages with a romantic interest, spent the night driving riders while venting about his life, and ended the evening "alone, angry, and wanting revenge."
According to multiple outlets citing court filings, prosecutors claim he blamed "society" and the wealthy for his problems and "sought revenge on society" as a result.
Read more: Chicago Teen Murders Pregnant Woman During Botched Robbery Then Sets House Ablaze, Cops Say
A Justice Department indictment alleges that Rinderknecht "maliciously" set fire to brush on land managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority above Pacific Palisades, CBS News reported.
Authorities say they tied him to the initial blaze using witness interviews, cellphone location data, video surveillance, and fire-pattern analysis. He has been charged in federal court with destruction of property by fire and other counts, and he remains in custody while his trial proceeds.
During the trial's first days, prosecutors also pointed to digital evidence they say reflects his interest in fire and destruction, including an AI-generated image of a burning city found on his devices.
Investigators previously noted that he listened to a French rap song whose video shows burning trash cans while he was near the scene on Jan. 1. Defense attorneys have argued in court and in media interviews that there is no direct proof he lit the fire and that he is being used as a scapegoat for shortcomings in the initial firefighting response, as per the New York Post.
