June 8 (UPI) — Jury selection was set to begin Monday for the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire that killed a dozen people and burned more than 23,000 in Southern California in 2025.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, pleaded not guilty to charges including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.
The trial is expected to last seven to 11 days, ABC News reported.
He’s accused of setting a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that would later develop into the Palisades Fire, one of the worst wildfires in California history, which burned thousands of structures in Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu. The fire was fully contained on Jan. 31, 2025.
Court documents indicate Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver when he drove to the Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his car and allegedly started the fire. Prosecutors said he tried to call 911 multiple times but couldn’t get through because he was out of cell service range. When he finally managed to connect with dispatch at the bottom of the hiking trail, a nearby resident had already reported the fire.
Authorities said Rinderknecht allegedly fled the scene before returning, walking back up the trail and used his phone to record the scene of the fire, which was dubbed the Lachman Fire.
Firefighters were able to suppress the Lachman Fire, but it smoldered underground and erupted into the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7.
Rinderknecht’s lead defense attorney, Steve Haney, said his client is being used as a scapegoat to account for the failure of firefighters to fully extinguish the Lachman Fire, KNBC-TV in Los Angeles reported.
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