SANTA ANA - A judge has declared a mistrial in the case against a man accused of deliberately sparking a wildfire that eventually became the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. Jurors said they were deadlocked on all three felony counts, with a final vote of 10 to 2 for acquittal.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver, was accused of setting a fire on New Year’s Eve which rekindled during strong winds into January 2025’s Palisades Fire.

Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said, “The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire. We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts.”

Rinderknecht will remain in custody until his new trial, which will start Oct. 19. He was declared a flight risk due to his family’s reported ties to France.

He was accused of starting the Lachman Fire in the Pacific Palisades, which continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.

Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.

Prosecutors argued Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire and claimed he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents, viewing Pacific Palisades as a symbol of the frustration.

The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire, saying the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence.

One juror told reporters she didn’t feel the prosecution proved the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

“There’s just not enough proof. It just happened so late in time and I just felt like… a lot of holes,” she said.

Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. (Source: KTLA)

Story Date: June 26, 2026