Arrest made in connection to deadly Palisades Fire

(NewsNation) — A man has been arrested in the criminal investigation into the deadly wildfire that ravaged Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood early this year.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was arrested Tuesday at his home in Melbourne, Florida, and charged with destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht was a former resident of the Pacific Palisades area, authorities said, and a criminal complaint alleged he started the fire on New Year’s Day.

Police interviewed Rinderknecht on Jan. 24 regarding his whereabouts the day the fire started, during which they said he lied about being on a hiking trail at the time.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said evidence collected from Rinderknecht included an AI-generated image depicting a burning city.

“While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy,” Essayli said in a social media post.

Rinderknecht is accused of intentionally setting the Lochman Fire, which smoldered underground and became the Palisades Fire nearly a week later. Authorities did not provide a motive.

The Palisades Fire began to spread Jan. 7 and grew to more than 20,000 acres, killing 12 people, destroying 7,000 structures and causing an estimated $18-20 billion in insured losses alone.

Rinderknecht’s initial court appearance is set for Wednesday in Orlando. If convicted, the charge carries a mandatory five-year federal prison sentence and is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.