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Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Man Accused of Starting Palisades Fire

Prosecutors will present phone location data, witness testimony, a seized lighter, and fire‑pattern analysis to argue a Jan. 1 blaze smoldered then re‑ignited into the Jan. 7 fire.

This undated photo provided by the US Attorney's Office shows Jonathan Rinderknecht, a suspect in the Palisades Fire. (US Attorney's Office via AP)
An aerial view shows the cleared site of a mobile home park more than a year after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An aerial view shows homes under construction amid empty lots more than a year after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A chimney stands on a lot covered with weeds and wildflowers in front of a home under construction more than a year after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Overview

  • Jury selection began Monday in federal court in downtown Los Angeles for Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty to arson charges that carry up to 45 years in prison if he is convicted.
  • Prosecutors say Rinderknecht intentionally set a small brush fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that firefighters suppressed but that later smoldered underground and flared back up on Jan. 7 during strong Santa Ana winds to become the deadly Palisades Fire.
  • The government plans to call as many as 50 witnesses and rely on cell‑phone geolocation, witness accounts including Uber passenger statements, a Bic barbecue lighter recovered from his vehicle, and fire‑pattern analysis to link him to the origin of the blaze.
  • The defense argues Rinderknecht is being made a scapegoat for firefighting failures and will challenge causation and evidence, but Judge Anne Hwang has barred the defense from presenting evidence or arguments about alleged fire department negligence.
  • The trial opens against ongoing local recovery struggles with thousands of destroyed structures, slow rebuilding and political fallout in Los Angeles as residents seek answers about how the disaster unfolded and who is responsible.