Jury Selection Begins for Man Accused in Deadly Palisades Fire

Jury selection began Monday in downtown Los Angeles for the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 30-year-old former Uber driver accused of setting a New Year's Day 2025 fire that smoldered for a week and grew into the deadly Palisades Fire. The fire, one of the most destructive in Los Angeles history, burned 23,448 acres, destroyed approximately 6,800 structures, and killed 12 people in the affluent Pacific Palisades community.

Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty in October to federal charges including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.

The trial in Los Angeles federal court is expected to last about 11 days.

Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht set the Lachman Fire just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2025, on federal land.

That fire was quickly suppressed by firefighters but continued to smolder underground in root systems. On Jan.

7, 2025, hurricane-force Santa Ana winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread, becoming the Palisades Fire.

According to court documents, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver on the evening of Dec. 31, 2024.

Two passengers he drove between 10:15 and 11:15 p.m. later told law enforcement he appeared agitated and angry.

After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, Rinderknecht drove to Skull Rock Trailhead, parked, attempted to contact a former friend, and walked up the trail. Prosecutors say he used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop and listened to a rap song with imagery of things being lit on fire.

During a Jan. 24, 2025, interview with law enforcement in Florida, where he relocated after the fire, Rinderknecht allegedly lied about his location when he first saw the Lachman Fire.

He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail and called 911, but geolocation data showed he was standing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew.

The U.S. Attorney's Office also alleges that Rinderknecht closely followed the case of Luigi Mangione, charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

A trial memo says Rinderknecht searched for terms like "free Luigi Mangione," "lets take down all the billionaires," and "lets kill all the billionaires." When asked why someone might commit arson in the Palisades, he allegedly cited bitterness toward the wealthy and referenced the Thompson murder, saying, "We're basically being enslaved by them."

Defense attorney Steven Haney argued there is not "one single shred of evidence" that the fire was intentionally set by Rinderknecht. He wrote that the publicity and infamy of the case motivate his client to fight the charges and clear his name, not to flee.