Closing arguments were expected to begin in the federal arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 30-year-old dual French and U.S. citizen accused of starting the deadly January 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County.
Background
The Palisades Fire, which burned over 23,400 acres and destroyed 6,800 structures, is considered the most destructive wildfire in the history of the City of Los Angeles. Twelve people lost their lives in the fire.
Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of three arson counts: destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire.
Trial Proceedings
Witness testimony continued early in the trial, with firefighters being questioned about a smaller fire called the Lachman Fire, which the federal government accused Rinderknecht of starting on January 1, 2025. The fire re-ignited in a powerful Santa Ana windstorm on January 7, 2025, and became the Palisades Fire.
Prosecutors have portrayed Rinderknecht as a vengeful, mentally unstable arsonist who was angry at society. They brought expert witnesses who testified that the fire cause was “incendiary,” or caused by an open flame.
Rinderknecht’s attorney, Steve Haney, has argued that investigators missed a simple explanation: fireworks. Haney called two firefighters to the stand who delivered contradicting accounts of the evening.
One firefighter told the court that he heard fireworks before the blaze started, but another said he did not. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter Robert Appleford testified to seeing flashes of light and hearing fireworks before and after midnight that evening.
Haney also asked a Pacific Palisades resident who lost his family home in the fire to testify about hearing fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Veterinary student Ari Sallus said he was hiking up a nearby hill with his girlfriend when he saw a flash of light and heard a loud bang from behind him.
Defense Strategy
Haney had initially planned to argue that it was the fire department’s fault for not putting out the January 1 fire. However, U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang ruled that any evidence or argument of LAFD negligence in their response to the January 1 fire could not be used at trial.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
