Palisades fire suspect will ‘go to war’ over charges
It’s been one year since the Palisades Fire tragically tore through the Los Angeles community of Pacific Palisades. REUTERS
An Uber driver accused of starting the blaze that later became the devastating Palisades Fire is preparing for an all-out legal fight, his attorney told the Post.
“There’s not going to be any possibility of a plea bargain. It’s going to be all or nothing,” said Steve Haney, attorney for Jonathan Rinderknecht. “It’s going to be a street fight. This will be an epic war.”
Prosecutors allege that 29-year-old Rinderknecht started the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1 last year in the hills above the coastal community of Palisades, once home to celebrities including Billy Crystal and Tom Hanks. While firefighters initially contained the fire, underground embers persisted and flared up on Jan. 7, evolving into the Palisades Fire and causing widespread destruction.
Rinderknecht was arrested on Oct. 7 and later indicted by a federal grand jury on charges including destruction of property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and setting timber on fire. He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
According to federal prosecutors, investigators determined the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” from the Lachman blaze, which continued to smolder underground and was later spread by strong winds. Using witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and fire pattern analysis, authorities claim Rinderknecht “maliciously” started the Lachman Fire shortly after midnight on Jan. 1.
Court documents say that on the evening of Dec. 31, 2024, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Passengers on two separate trips described him as “agitated and angry.” After dropping off a passenger in Palisades, Rinderknecht reportedly drove to Skull Rock Trailhead, filmed the area, and at 12:12 a.m., sensors indicated the Lachman Fire had started.
He allegedly made several 911 calls but was initially out of cellphone range. When he finally reached emergency services, another resident had already reported the fire. Authorities claim Rinderknecht then followed fire engines to the scene and returned to film the flames.
Geolocation data from his phone, prosecutors say, contradicts his claim that he first saw the fire from the bottom of a trail. Instead, he was reportedly just 30 feet away from the rapidly spreading blaze.
Haney, however, strongly disputes the allegations. “It’s mind-boggling that they’re continuing with this case. They don’t have any evidence that he started the fire,” he said. Haney also points to departmental failures by multiple agencies as contributing to the Palisades Fire’s rekindling.
The attorney said he has identified 31 witnesses, including firefighters and battalion chiefs, who reported seeing and hearing fireworks or flashes near the origin of the Lachman Fire around New Year’s Eve. “One witness actually saw a flash of light and heard a big bang at the exact time the fire started,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht remains in the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, awaiting an April 21 jury trial. Haney described the facility as housing some of the “most violent criminals in the world” and emphasized that Rinderknecht, who has no prior convictions, is eager to prove his innocence.
“He’s frustrated, denied bond, and in a potentially dangerous environment,” Haney said. “He’s cooperated with authorities, given hours of interviews, and was baffled that anyone believed he was involved in this arson.”
Haney plans to file a motion to suppress evidence from search warrants, arguing the affidavit provided no probable cause for the searches and seizures conducted in the case.
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