Jury selection is set to begin tomorrow for Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a Melbourne man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The fire, which occurred last year, claimed the lives of 12 people and scorched thousands of homes and businesses, making it historically destructive. Federal prosecutors said Rinderknecht, who was arrested in his Melbourne home in October 2025, intentionally set a Jan. 1, 2025, fire on Hidden Buddha Hill and is responsible for the blaze. Prosecutors further allege that the larger Palisades Fire that broke out Jan. 7 was a holdover fire that continued smoldering from the earlier blaze.Court filings describe Rinderknecht as isolated and increasingly erratic, noting that he searched phrases like “Free Luigi Mangione” and “Let’s take down all the billionaires.” Prosecutors allege that he took a screenshot on Jan. 3, 2025, of an article about Mangione entering a not guilty plea in a criminal case.Investigators said Rinderknecht later compared the arson to the killing Mangione is accused of, calling it retaliation against the wealthy. Prosecutors say they may call up to 50 witnesses and expect the case to last as long as 10 days. If convicted, Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison.What was the Palisades Fire?The fires forced thousands of people to evacuate. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history.The blaze began on Jan. 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighborhood of LA. >> The video below is previous coverage.
LOS ANGELES —
Jury selection is set to begin tomorrow for Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a Melbourne man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
The fire, which occurred last year, claimed the lives of 12 people and scorched thousands of homes and businesses, making it historically destructive.
Federal prosecutors said Rinderknecht, who was arrested in his Melbourne home in October 2025, intentionally set a Jan. 1, 2025, fire on Hidden Buddha Hill and is responsible for the blaze.
Prosecutors further allege that the larger Palisades Fire that broke out Jan. 7 was a holdover fire that continued smoldering from the earlier blaze.
Court filings describe Rinderknecht as isolated and increasingly erratic, noting that he searched phrases like “Free Luigi Mangione” and “Let’s take down all the billionaires.”
Prosecutors allege that he took a screenshot on Jan. 3, 2025, of an article about Mangione entering a not guilty plea in a criminal case.
Investigators said Rinderknecht later compared the arson to the killing Mangione is accused of, calling it retaliation against the wealthy.
Prosecutors say they may call up to 50 witnesses and expect the case to last as long as 10 days.
If convicted, Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison.
What was the Palisades Fire?
The fires forced thousands of people to evacuate. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history.
The blaze began on Jan. 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighborhood of LA.
>> The video below is previous coverage.