Jonathan Rinderknecht arrest update: Palisades firebug lied to cops; details on charges out

Jonathan Rinderknecht lied to law enforcement officials about his whereabouts after the Palisades Fire in January 2025. Authorities arrested the 29-year-old former Palisades resident, now living in Florida, for maliciously starting the blaze.

Jonathan Rinderknech was arrested on Wednesday(AP)

The Justice Department announced that the perpetrator behind one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, had been caught. Rinderknecht, also known as “Jonathan Rinder,” and “Jon Rinder,” of Melbourne, Florida, was charged with destruction of property by means of fire.

He was arrested Tuesday and is slated to make his initial appearance on Wednesday in United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Jonathan Rinderknecht lied to cops

Rinderknecht was interviewed by law enforcement on January 24, 2025, and lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire. While he claimed to be near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, data from his phone placed him in a clearing 30 feet from the fire, as it rapidly grew.

Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver on the evening of December 31, 2024. Passengers he ferried that night told law enforcement that they recalled him being agitated and angry. Before starting the fire, he dropped off a passenger in the Pacific Palisades. Then, Rinderknecht drove towards Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his car, tried contacting a former friend, before walking up the trail.

He used his iPhone to take videos of a nearby hilltop area, and listened to a rap song, the Justice Department press release said. The song, which Rinderknecht heard repeatedly in previous days, reportedly has a music video where things are set on fire. New York Post said the song was Un Zder, Un The, by the artist Josman.

At 12:12 a.m. on January 1, 2025, the Lachman Fire, which would later become the Palisades Fire, had begun. Rinderknecht dialed 911 many times in the next five minutes, the Justice Department report stated.

“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy.”