By JAIMIE DING
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man accused of sparking the deadly wildfire that ripped through a Los Angeles neighborhood in January must remain jailed while he awaits trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.
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Federal officials have said Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, started a small fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground before reigniting nearly a week later and roaring through coastal Pacific Palisades and Malibu, home to many of Los Angeles’ rich and famous. The fire, which left 12 dead in the hillside neighborhoods, was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people in all and destroying over 17,000 homes and buildings while burning for days in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Rozella A. Oliver denied his bond, saying he must be kept in custody due to his mental health and distress he caused his sister and her family. Rinderknecht’s father testified in support of his release, denying that his son had mental health issues.
Rinderknecht was arrested Oct. 7 in Florida, where he staying at his sister’s house in Orlando. A judge ordered that he remain jailed after a prosecutor said he had traits of an arsonist and his family had worried about his declining mental state. Prosecutors also argued Rinderknecht was a flight risk because he had family in France and spoke French.
He was brought to Los Angeles about two weeks later and pleaded not guilty in court.
FILE – This undated photo provided by the US Attorney’s Office shows Jonathan Rinderknecht. (US Attorney’s Office via AP, file)
Rinderknecht was indicted on one charge of malicious destruction by means of a fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and one count of timber set afire. If convicted, he would face up to 20 years in federal prison.
His trial is scheduled for April 21, 2026.
Federal officials called the Palisades blaze a “holdover fire” from the Jan. 1 fire that Rinderknecht is accused of starting, which was not fully extinguished by firefighters. LA’s interim fire chief said such fires linger in root systems and can reach depths of 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters), making them undetectable by thermal imaging cameras.
Rinderknecht’s attorney Steve Haney said that even if Rinderknecht was the cause of the initial smaller fire on New Year’s Day, there were several “intervening factors” in the week between that day and when the Palisades Fire ignited, mainly the Los Angeles Fire Department’s response to the fire.
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