Today we are announcing the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January. 
The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht's started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day -- a blaze that eventually turned into one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction. Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city. 
While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy. Rinderknecht's initial appearance is scheduled for today at 1:30 p.m. EDT in U.S. District Court in Orlando. Rinderknecht is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Oct 8, 2025 · 4:01 PM UTC

2,216
3,844
15,857
4,293,524
Sort replies: Relevant Recent Liked
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
So, not climate change. Imagine THAT.
21
69
1,399
25,348
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
I’m not even looking him up and will just assume he’s a Democrat.
156
29
1,273
37,187
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
So they got this person so they're going to ignore the fact that the fire department didn't put out the fire properly? There was no water in the dam, the fire hydrants had no water, there was a lack of firemen & a lack of police, and no one held accountable?
128
104
1,299
49,389
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
So it wasn't climate change 🤔
17
25
902
12,465
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Alright, now arrest the incompetent "leaders" who caused this and untold and unnecessary destruction
22
166
795
14,220
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
I hope that isn’t the only evidence because a random ChatGPT picture seems pretty weak
33
3
892
36,826
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
He may have started it but it was Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass’s gross negligence, incompetence, mismanagement that lead to the 12 deaths and destruction of 3 cities and thousands of lives. California DEMANDS Newsom and Bass be arrested too!
We know now the city of LA and the state of California allowed a fire to burn for a week on Topanga State Park where it rekindled and destroyed the Palisades. What can be done to hold Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass accountable for this negligence?
23
171
700
14,191
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
“And was he a member of antifa?”
2
598
11,019
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Has a federal judge released him yet? Maybe a Maryland senator will have a margarita with him soon.
20
19
783
16,657
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
I thought his name was climate change tho?
5
1
786
24,229
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Ladies gentlemen I give you….. THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE!!!!!
21
66
604
34,379
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Arrest this guy while you are at it.
30
61
610
6,808
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Death penalty
7
3
446
11,948
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
It all makes sense now.
10
68
383
42,270
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
So they found a homeless, state-assisted drug addict in a zombie-like state or some antifa to take the lose. Now, they can refocus away from inept, corrupt mayor, overnor, response leaders. Lack of water resources and other policy issues can go away. Land grab can continue. Hmm.
11
50
349
8,599
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
He’s registered to vote in Florida at his parents’ house. And any relation to this guy? 🧐 Grok says there are only about 430 people in the US with this surname.
Meet Jack Rinderknecht. Here he is mocking and celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination. He teaches at @FortBendISD.
12
86
223
13,899
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Almost every. single. time. We have a white non-trans non-migrant male problem.
197
16
350
16,901
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Did this Democrat Doofus empty the reservoirs too?
2
54
280
4,541
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
You going to hold one person accountable for the entire fire, and the incompetence of the entire government of CA? Weren't there many fires set during this time period? I remember all the arson reports. What is the evidence for this one dude anyway, besides a burning town pic?
6
10
342
7,973
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
That’s nice. The fire dept might’ve actually been deployed to our neighborhood that morning, instead of standing down. They came and took inventory in the palisades, 5 months before. They knew. I know they knew. This is a bone being thrown to feign justice. Guess this is just how government has always worked.
6
21
122
6,165
Check phone records from @GavinNewsom bc I’m sure they both conspired!
22
52
237
7,510
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
So, not climate change.
7
144
3,156
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
How much did Greasy Gavin pay him? .@CAgovernor
6
6
125
2,550
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Charge him as a domestic terrorist.
3
128
3,433
>The clearing of some of the most lucrative real estate in the country. >This pudgy white dude did it. Sure Jan.
2
1
107
2,672
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
I made this arrest.
13
112
4,937
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
life in prison for destroying the livelihoods of 1000s
5
4
99
12,450
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
So no arrests of the real culprits? Who authorized the reservoirs to be empty? Who had the fire hydrants inoperable? And most importantly, who is making this land-grab possible? We all know the answers. Arresting this kid nine months later with no evidence is just embarrassing.
57
14
256
21,417
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city. That's your BEST piece of evidence? If you had better evidence, you would have posted that instead. Your credibility gap is becoming a endless chasm quickly, Pam. @AGPamBondi
9
9
64
3,026
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
PLEASE DO OREGON NEXT! I have STILL have video and photo evidence of Antifa starting the 2020 fires in southern Oregon, up and down the Molalla corridor, in pastures, along the freeway! The state police took over the "arson investigation," and the next thing we knew, it wasn't arson anymore! Please do something about the corruption in Oregon. Even the Governor's staff are known Antifa members!
8
20
55
2,356
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
This should be a death penalty case.
2
4
74
2,117
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
The new face of climate change
2
73
2,103
Replying to @USAttyEssayli
Not buying it was a rekindle, seems to convenient. In 32 years with Cal Fire I fought 100's of fires like the Lachman and I never saw a rekindle a week later. I still think it was a 2nd arson start.
14
6
70
46,752