A jury considering arson charges against Jonathan Rinderknecht for allegedly causing the January 2025 wildfires in the Pacific Palisades has reached a verdict. The verdicts were expected to be read shortly.
Case Details
Deliberations began Wednesday morning. In closing argument Tuesday, prosecutors asked jurors to return guilty verdicts based on irrefutable location data that placed Rinderknecht at the scene of the first of the two Palisades fires, called the Lachman Fire, on Jan. 1, 2025.
ATF fire wild land fire experts testified that burn patterns on bushes and shrubs led them to conclude embers left smoldering underground from the Lachman fire, reignited 6 days later during intense winds and grew into the devastating Palisades fire, making Rinderknecht responsible for the destruction from both events.
Rinderknecht’s defense attorney Steven Haney said there wasn’t enough proof his client had ignited that fire, or, that it was caused by arson at all, and told jurors during his closing argument that the more likely explanation for the fire was New Year’s fireworks.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
