LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities have arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of Florida in connection with the devastating Palisades Fire that tore through Los Angeles County earlier this year, destroying thousands of structures and claiming a dozen lives.
According to the Department of Justice, Rinderknecht is accused of starting a small blaze on January 1, 2025, near a trail in Pacific Palisades. Investigators believe that the fire continued to smolder underground before reigniting and growing into what became the most destructive wildfire in the city’s history. The blaze consumed more than 23,000 acres and damaged or destroyed nearly 7,000 buildings before it was finally contained.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced that Rinderknecht faces multiple federal charges, including arson and destruction of property by means of fire — crimes that carry potential prison sentences of five to twenty years.
Court filings and evidence released by federal prosecutors indicate that Rinderknecht had used artificial intelligence tools in the months leading up to the fire. Investigators say he generated an AI image using ChatGPT that depicted a burning city and crowds fleeing, which they described as a “dystopian painting.” He also reportedly used the chatbot to ask hypothetical questions about responsibility for fires caused by cigarettes.
Additional evidence includes surveillance footage, cell phone geolocation data, and Rinderknecht’s statements to investigators, which authorities say were inconsistent. He had previously lived in the Pacific Palisades area and was working as an Uber driver at the time of the incident.
Rinderknecht was taken into custody in Florida last week and is expected to be transferred to the Central District of California for trial. The Los Angeles County Fire Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the investigation.
Officials say the probe remains ongoing as authorities continue to assess the full impact of the wildfire and whether emergency response measures could have mitigated the damage.
