Suspect in deadly LA fire pleads not guilty again after mistrial
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
By MAIA SPOTO and VIK JOLLY
A 30-year-old man accused of starting one of the most destructive fires in California history pleaded not guilty earlier this week after federal prosecutors recast the charges against him following a stunning mistrial.
The effort by federal prosecutors reflects a push for accountability after the deadly 2025 Palisades fire, even after 10 of 12 jurors voted in June to find the man, Jonathan Rinderknecht, not guilty. A federal judge declared a mistrial then.
Prosecutors filed a new indictment Aug. 13, bringing the number of arson-related felony charges against Rinderknecht from three to two. One now focuses solely on the Lachman fire, which began on New Year’s and which investigators say smoldered for a week before exploding into the Palisades blaze.
Rinderknecht now faces felony charges of one count of destruction of property using fire — specifically the Lachman fire — and one of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, which relates to both the Lachman and Palisades fires.
The arraignment was held Wednesday in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom before Judge Anne Hwang of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California during a hearing that lasted about 15 minutes.
Wearing a beige jumpsuit, Rinderknecht stood with his hands clasped in front him and his feet shackled as he responded “not guilty.” Rinderknecht’s retrial is set to begin Nov. 2.
“We had a lot of success in June, as I thought we would,” Rinderknecht’s lawyer, Steven Haney, said after the hearing. “I anticipate more success in November.”
At Rinderknecht’s first trial, the prosecution argued that Rinderknecht had resented the rich and started the fire with a lighter as “societal revenge.”
But Rinderknecht’s lawyer argued that New Year’s fireworks had set it off.
Prosecutors said that Rinderknecht had been angry that he hadn’t secured plans for the holiday, and his Uber passengers from that night testified that he ranted about capitalism. Late that night, Rinderknecht hiked up a Pacific Palisades trail near where the Lachman fire began.
As the blaze grew, he called 911 more than a dozen times. Prosecutors said he was trying to cover his tracks. Haney said it would be “self-destructive and idiotic” for an arsonist to call authorities rather than leaving immediately.
Haney at the trial said there were gaps in the government’s case. The scene was left unprotected for 12 days, destroying evidence; of 9,000 or so videos compiled in the investigation, none caught the ignition, and no one identified the exact time the fire started, he said.
To Dave Ring, a Los Angeles-based civil lawyer who has no involvement in the case, the revised charges represent a “distinction without a difference,” and prosecutors will still face steep challenges.
“I think their case still is going to be incredibly difficult to win,” he said.
Regardless of the outcome of Rinderknecht’s case, the city of Los Angeles and other government agencies could still face civil liability for failures during the fire.
Many residents are still displaced more than a year and a half after the fire killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the wealthy Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles.
Haney said on Wednesday that there was no direct evidence that Rinderknecht had started the Lachman fire and said connecting the Lachman fire to the Palisades fire remained a challenge. His client, who is still in custody, is feeling positive, hopeful and confident, Haney said.
“Retrying cases that are overwhelmingly decided is rare, but here we are, and that’s fine,” he said.
So many lives were destroyed by this fire, and the victims and displaced residents deserve clear answers and accountability. I hope the retrial brings clarity and justice to everyone affected.
Proving arson cases without direct physical evidence or clear footage is always tough for prosecutors. Given the initial 10-2 jury split toward acquittal, the retrial with revised charges is going to be an uphill battle.