Jury selection starts in Palisades arson re-trial
The second federal trial for Jonathan Rinderknecht begins after a 10-2 deadlock in June, with charges narrowed to exclude the original count.
By Grace Anderson ·
Jury selection begins Monday morning in the federal re-trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht. Prosecutors are charging the man with starting the Lachman Fire, which ignited on Jan. 1, 2025, and later evolved into the Palisades Fire.
The first trial concluded in June with a 10-2 jury deadlock favoring acquittal. For the new proceedings, the government dropped one of the three original charges. The revised indictment also revised two other counts. The new charges separate the arson allegation from the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1 from the larger Palisades Fire.
The Palisades Fire burned 23,400 acres. It killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures. Authorities stated that the Lachman Fire exploded into the larger disaster six days after it started. This expansion occurred when powerful Santa Ana winds swept into Southern California on Jan. 7, 2025.
Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to the revised indictment. He remains in federal custody without bail. Federal prosecutors said they believe he intentionally set the fire around midnight on New Year's Day 2025. They allege he did so along a hiking trail in the Palisades Highlands neighborhood because he was frustrated with his place in society and angry at wealthy people.
The defense team argued that the evidence did not prove the Lachman Fire was arson. They contended there was no conclusive proof that smoldering embers reignited in the intense winds a week later.
The new indictment reflects a strategic shift from the first trial, where the two fires were characterized as a single event. The re-trial focuses specifically on the initial ignition event rather than the subsequent spread.
