Trial for man accused of igniting deadly Palisades Fire comes to frustrating end

The case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of igniting the devastating Palisades Fire in 2025 that resulted in 12 deaths and over 6,800 structures being destroyed, came to a frustrating close on Friday.

Rinderknecht, a 30-year-old former Uber driver, faced three federal charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. He was accused of “maliciously” damaging and destroying buildings and property, but a mistrial was ultimately declared in his case.

‘We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts.’

Rinderknecht faced up to 45 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty in October.

Prosecutors claimed that several of Rinderknecht’s Uber passengers described him as “angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world.’” He also allegedly talked about Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism.

When asked about why someone might have started the fire, Rinderknecht allegedly responded that it could be “out of resentment of the rich,” according to prosecutors.

After 13 hours of deliberations, the jury was deadlocked, with jurors on both sides “unwilling to change their opinion,” according to a note sent to U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang. The jurors informed Hwang that they were “at a standstill” and unsure of how to proceed after a final vote of 10-2 for acquittal.

RELATED: Suspect in deadly Palisades Fire was obsessed with Luigi Mangione, critical of rich: Prosecutors

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Federal prosecutors agreed to a mistrial after the jurors confirmed they could not reach a unanimous decision on any of the three counts in the case.

“The court finds there’s a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial in this case due to a jury deadlock,” Hwang said.

Defense attorney Steve Haney stated, “Ten to two is a pretty resounding indication of what the jury felt about this case, and we felt that way from the very beginning.”

RELATED: Feds make arrest in connection with devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles

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Shortly after the mistrial was announced, first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli stated that he intends to retry the case.

“The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire. We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts,” Essayli wrote.

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