Who Is Jonathan Rinderknecht? What to Know About the Accused Individual

The Palisades Fire devastated a huge swath of Los Angeles when it broke out in January 2025, and its effects are still being felt in the region.

Authorities announced the arrest of a suspect named Jonathan Rinderknecht on Wednesday, accused of starting the deadly inferno.

We're going to take a look into the background of the accused individual and see what's been alleged about his actions before the fire started -- and after it took place.

Rinderknecht -- originally from Florida -- was working as an Uber driver in L.A. at the time of the fire, according to the Los Angeles Times. He's familiar with the area where the fire started, as he lived in Pacific Palisades at some point in the past, and reportedly had a friend who lived in the Palisades area.

Google search records indicate Rinderknecht allegedly watched a music video for a song by French rap artist Josman, in which he set multiple objects on fire, several times in the days before the Palisades wildfire began, according to the New York Post.

Rinderknecht allegedly asked ChatGPT to create a dystopian image of a burning city just months before the fire took place, the Post reports.

Rinderknecht allegedly dialed 911 just after allegedly setting the Palisades Fire. He got service when he'd made it to the bottom of a hiking trail and connected.

At the time he was speaking with first responders, the Post reports, Rinderknecht allegedly typed a query to ChatGPT asking if he'd be at fault if he'd lit a fire with cigarettes.

He allegedly passed emergency responders while leaving the area where the blaze started and offered to assist firefighters, later recording several videos while watching firefighters try to stop the inferno.

Rinderknecht moved back to Florida after the fire, where he was eventually arrested.

In L.A., Rinderknecht formerly lived in an apartment building just off Hollywood Boulevard, and several neighbors told the New York Post his behavior had never seemed out of the ordinary.

Prosecutors later claimed he made false statements to authorities. He apparently stated he only noticed the fire after he walked down a trail leading back to his car.

More than 23,000 acres burned in the Palisades Fire, killing 12 people. More than 6,800 structures were destroyed.