Lawmen have busted an Uber driver they accuse of being the twisted firebug who ignited California’s deadly Palisades Fire that killed a dozen people, destroyed thousands of homes and left more than 23,000 acres in blackened cinders, according to People.
Authorities identified the pernicious pyromaniac as Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, who was arrested in Melbourne, Fla., Oct. 8 and charged with maliciously starting the blaze that ripped through Los Angeles County in January.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli calls the blaze “one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction.
“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen … Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office For The Central District Of California
According to federal sources, two passengers driven by Rinderknecht “on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. [Dec. 31] later told law enforcement they remembered that Rinderknecht appeared agitated and angry.
“After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, Rinderknecht — who once lived in that neighborhood — drove towards Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his car … and walked up the trail.
“He then used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a rap song — to which he had listened repeatedly in previous days — whose music video included things being lit on fire.”
Authorities believe he then started the fire first detected at 12:12 a.m. Jan. 1 that grew into the Palisades blaze, reported it to 911 and “fled in his car.”
Says the prosecutor: “We hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy.”
Rinderknecht has not yet entered a plea and is being held without bail.
This story Uber Driver-Turned-Pyromaniac Busted For Allegedly Igniting California’s Deadly Palisades Fire first appeared on Globe. Add Globe as a Preferred Source by clicking here.