Palisades Fire trial: Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks
LOS ANGELES - A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man charged with setting a fire that officials said eventually became the Palisades Fire.
Mistrial declared in Palisades Fire trial
A Los Angeles federal judge has declared a mistrial in the trial of 30-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht after the jury remained hopelessly deadlocked.
What we know:
Rinderknecht was charged with three felony counts: destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Investigators allege that the former Uber driver started the initial Lachman Fire on New Year's Eve. The blaze later smoldered underground for seven days before being fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds, becoming the devastating Palisades Fire. The historic firestorm led to 12 fatalities, destroyed thousands of structures, and consumed more than 23,000 acres.
Following the firestorm, Rinderknecht relocated to Florida. He was later tracked down by federal investigators in Melbourne, where he was arrested and subsequently extradited back to California to stand trial.
Jury Deadlocked
The final verdict follows intense drama that unfolded in the courtroom Thursday afternoon after it was revealed jurors were at a complete standstill.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Jury deadlocked in trial of man accused of sparking historic Palisades Fire
When the judge asked if any extra instructions or evidence read-backs could help the panel, the jury foreman sent back a note stating, "There is nothing the court can do it was this in the deliberations. Unfortunately, we cannot reach a unanimous decision," explicitly underlining the word cannot.
The defense immediately asked the judge to declare a mistrial, but the judge asked the jury to continue deliberations and to return Friday morning.
After returning to the courtroom Friday morning for further deliberations, the jury remained completely deadlocked, forcing the judge to call a mistrial. The jurors deliberated for 13 hours over two days. In the end, 10 of them would have voted not guilty while two would have voted guilty.
Juror speaks out: ‘I don't think there was enough evidence'
What they're saying:
"I don't think there was enough evidence to say he started the first fire but say he did, I don't see why everybody else's negligence of doing things incorrectly," a juror said Friday. "That was another reason that made me feel like ‘not guilty’ because like there's no proof like I wanted to know has anybody ever gotten in trouble for a holdover fire anywhere else because this holdover theory just wasn't like it wasn't working for me."
Palisades Fire trial: Jurors speak out after mistrial declared
Jurors spoke to reporters after a Los Angeles federal judge declared a mistrial in the Palisades arson fire.
Federal prosecutors plan to retry case
"The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire. We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X.
What's next:
He will remain in custody, authorities said Friday. If convicted in the future, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 45 years.
The next trial is set to begin Oct. 19, 2026.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Jonathan Rinderknecht, suspect in deadly Palisades Fire, pleads not guilty
- Jonathan Rinderknecht: Defense attorneys seek dismissal of charges in deadly Palisades Fire case
- Whistleblower says Palisades Fire could have been prevented if LAFD leadership followed protocol
- Man recalls ‘disturbing’ ride with Uber driver now accused of sparking Palisades Fire
- Palisades man who lost home in flames reacts to neighbor's arrest
The Source: This report is based on federal court trial proceedings, jury verdict forms, and updates from the U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. This article also used previous FOX 11 reports.