Federal prosecutors narrow charges against Jonathan Rinderknecht in second attempt to convict the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire.
Federal prosecutors have revised the indictment against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of sparking the 2025 wildfire that became the most destructive in Los Angeles history. Following a mistrial in June where ten of twelve jurors were ready to acquit him, the Justice Department reduced the case to two charges. The new indictment focuses on the destruction caused by the Jan. 1 fire, known as the Lachman Fire, and a count that includes both the Lachman Fire and the Palisades Fire. Prosecutors previously argued that Rinderknecht used a barbecue lighter to spark the fire on New Year's Day, which burned underground for a week before hurricane-force winds ignited the conflagration on Jan. 7. The revised indictment eliminates an allegation for setting brush and timber afire on federal land. The next trial is scheduled to begin in October, where the government will seek to convict Rinderknecht for the destruction of property affecting interstate or foreign commerce. U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang is holding a status conference for an arraignment on Wednesday.