Jonathan Rinderknecht facing new federal charges in Palisades Fire

New charges for Palisades Fire suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht

Jonathan Rinderknecht is charged with starting what eventually became the Palisades Fire. Now, two additional felonies have been added to his case.

LOS ANGELES - A federal grand jury has indicted Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is charged with starting what eventually became the Palisades Fire in January. 

Two additional felonies have been added to his case. 

Dig deeper:

Rinderknecht, 29, is charged in the three-count indictment with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and one count of timber set afire. 

He has been in federal custody since his arrest on October 7.  

Rinderknecht is accused of starting the so-called Lachman Fire just after midnight on New Year's Day. 

Although firefighters quickly suppressed that fire, it continued to smolder and burn underground.

About a week later on January 7, heavy winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became known as the Palisades Fire, according to court documents.

Timeline:

According to the Department of Justice, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver the night of December 31, 2024. 

Officials say two passengers that he drove on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. told law enforcement they remembered that he appeared agitated and angry.

After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, Rinderknecht, who once lived in the neighborhood, drove towards Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his car, attempted to contact a former friend, and walked up the trail, a statement from the DOJ said. 

He then used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a rap song.

RELATED: Man recalls ‘disturbing’ ride with Uber driver now accused of sparking Palisades Fire

Uber passenger recalls ride with alleged Palisades Fire suspect

A passenger who rode with the man now charged in the Palisades Fire shares what he remembers from that unsettling ride with Jonathan Rinderknecht.

At 12:12 a.m. on January 1, environmental sensing platforms indicated the Lachman Fire had begun. 

Officials say during the next five minutes, Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times, but his calls didn’t get through because his phone was out of range. 

He then proceeded to the bottom of the hiking trail where he finally connected with 911. By that point, a nearby resident had already reported the fire.

"Rinderknecht then fled in his car, passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction. He then turned around and followed the fire engines to the scene, driving at a high rate of speed. Rinderknecht walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and the firefighters. At approximately 1:02 a.m., he used his iPhone to take more videos of the scene," the DOJ statement explained. 

During a January 24 interview with law enforcement, Rinderknecht reportedly lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire. 

He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, however, the DOJ said geolocation data from his iPhone carrier showed that he was standing 30 feet from the fire.

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What's next:

If convicted, Rinderknecht faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 45 years in federal prison.