LA Jury Begins Deliberations in Palisades Fire Arson Trial

A federal jury in Los Angeles began deliberations on Wednesday in the arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 30-year-old dual French and U.S. citizen accused of starting a small brush fire that erupted into the deadliest wildfire in the city’s history. Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on three federal arson charges.

Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht, driven by anger and a desire for revenge against the wealthy, intentionally ignited vegetation in a remote clearing overlooking the Pacific Palisades around midnight on January 1, 2025. That initial blaze, known as the Lachman Fire, was reported extinguished but smoldered underground for six days. On January 7, 2025, propelled by powerful Santa Ana winds, it erupted into the catastrophic Palisades Fire. The wildfire burned over 23,400 acres, destroyed approximately 6,800 structures, killed 12 people, and caused billions of dollars in damage.

In closing arguments on Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Danbee Kim told jurors that Rinderknecht harbored a deep-seated belief that the wealthy were destroying the world and that the Pacific Palisades community represented all of that. She argued he lit the fire to...