Rinderknecht pleads not guilty to arson in Palisades Fire case

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, pleaded not guilty on Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles to three arson-related charges accusing him of starting a small New Year’s Day blaze that prosecutors say smoldered underground and later grew into the deadly Palisades Fire. The fire, which reemerged during a powerful wind event on January 7, burned roughly 23,400 acres, destroyed more than 6,800 structures and killed 12 people, according to investigators.

Rinderknecht, who was extradited from Florida and is being held without bail, is charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. Prosecutors said a conviction could carry a sentence between five and 45 years in federal prison. A trial date was set for December 16 before United States District Judge Anne Hwang; the arraignment Thursday was conducted by a magistrate.

Prosecutors allege that on the night of December 31 Rinderknecht, then working as an Uber driver, appeared agitated to two passengers he drove, dropped one off in Pacific Palisades, parked near the Skull Rock Trailhead and walked up a nearby trail. Court filings say he used his phone to record...