Jonathan Rinderknecht’s second trial is set to begin on Nov. 2
Credit: Bill Essayli, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California/X
NEED TO KNOW
- Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of starting the Lachman Fire, which allegedly grew into the deadly Palisades Fire
- Prosecutors claim Rinderknecht had a vendetta against wealthy people and referenced rap lyrics about lighting fires
- His attorney argues there is no evidence linking him to the fire, and that the scene was left unsecured for nearly two weeks
The man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire has pleaded not guilty to revised charges related to the 2025 incident.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, appeared before Judge Anne Hwang of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for a hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 19 when he pleaded not guilty to felony charges of one count of destruction of property using fire and one of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, KTLA and the New York Times reported.
The former Uber driver and Melbourne, Fla., resident allegedly ignited the Lachman Fire on a California hiking trail on Jan. 1, 2025.
Credit: Eric Thayer/Getty
Because the flames were never fully extinguished, it is believed that wind gusts carried sparks from the Lachman Fire, which grew into the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7, 2025 — leaving a dozen people dead, destroying more than 6,000 structures and burning over 23,000 acres.
The Palisades Fire has since become known as one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.
During his hearing, Rinderknecht’s attorney denied his client had any involvement in the devastation, instead claiming that fireworks sparked the blaze. He also claimed that Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times to report the fire, per the Times.
He was arrested in Florida nine months later.
“I think their case still is going to be incredibly difficult to win,” attorney Steven Haney said.
PEOPLE reached out to Haney for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Haney added that Rinderknecht would be “self-destructive and idiotic” to have started the Lachman Fire and not only continuously call authorities to report it, but also to have waited for authorities to arrive.
The plea comes days after a judge declared a mistrial in Rinderknecht’s case after jurors became deadlocked, PEOPLE previously reported.
Rinderknecht’s first trial began in early June. In August, after two days of deliberation, the jurors were deadlocked on all three counts. 10 jurors voted to acquit Rinderknecht, while two wanted to convict him, the Los Angeles Times previously reported.
“Jonathan is innocent, and no charging modification will change that reality,” Rinderknecht’s attorney, Steve Haney, said in a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Aug. 14.
Rinderknecht was first indicted in October 2025, 10 months after the fires began on Jan. 7, 2025.
Previously, prosecutors claimed Rinderknecht had a vendetta against wealthy people, and used testimony from Rinderknecht’s Uber passengers who allegedly witnessed him complaining about aspects of his life.
“On the evening of December 31, 2024, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Two passengers that he drove on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. that night later told law enforcement they remembered that Rinderknecht appeared agitated and angry,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California previously said.
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The U.S. attorney’s office also alleged that he listened to rap music that contained lyrics about lighting things on fire, and later made attempts to contact 911, but was unable to place the call because his cell phone did not have service.
“When he finally connected with 911, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire. By that point, a nearby resident already had reported the fire to authorities,” per the U.S. attorney’s office.
Rinderknecht’s retrial is set to begin Nov. 2.
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