Federal prosecutors have narrowed their case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting the deadly 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles. A jury deadlocked in June over whether to convict Rinderknecht of intentionally sparking the fire that killed 12 people and destroyed over 6,800 buildings.
New Indictment
In a new indictment filed Thursday, prosecutors reduced their case against Rinderknecht to two charges and narrowed their scope. Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht used a barbecue lighter on January 1, 2025, to spark a fire that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up on January 7 to become the Palisades fire.
Rinderknecht’s attorney and a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment on the new indictment. U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang is holding a status conference for an arraignment on Wednesday.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
