Federal authorities announced the arrest of a 29-year-old Uber driver in Florida on Wednesday who is charged with starting a blaze that eventually grew into the Palisades Fire just north of Los Angeles on New Year’s Day 2025. The fire destroyed over 23,000 acres, killed 12 people, and destroyed almost 7,000 structures over the following weeks.
Authorities allege Jonathan Rinderknecht, who previously lived in the Pacific Palisades, was working as an Uber driver in the area on New Year’s Eve and picked up at least two rides that night before starting a fire that would become known as the Lachman Fire, according to the criminal complaint filed in California.
The Lachman Fire was thought to be extinguished a few hours later, but the dry conditions allowed it to smolder undetected for a week before high winds caused it to become the Palisades Fire, which would burn for weeks before officially being fully contained on Jan. 31.
Rinderknecht took videos of the area around the time that the Lachman Fire started and tried to call 911 several times but failed for technical reasons, according to the complaint. GPS data for those attempted calls was logged and placed him in the area. He was successful in getting through to 911 at 12:17 a.m. on Jan. 1, though the fire had already been reported by a local resident at that point, according to the complaint.
Rinderknecht, who reportedly speaks French, also listened to a song by French artist Josman called “Un Zder, Un The” on YouTube several times. The charging document says Google records show he listened to the song nine times in four days, and it includes themes of “despair and bitterness.” The video features a couple of shots where fake money is set on fire.
The charging documents also allege that Rinderknecht’s car was captured by home security cameras in the area, and he passed fire engines responding to the fire before turning around and following them.
The charging documents note that Rinderknecht was interviewed by the authorities on Jan. 24, though it’s not clear why it took so long to arrest and charge the suspect. The documents also contain alleged excerpts from his conversations with ChatGPT, which authorities are clearly trying to suggest provide some kind of motive for the alleged arson.
One conversation that allegedly happened with the AI chatbot on Nov. 1, 2024, a couple of months before the fire started:
“I am 28 years old. And… I basically… This just happened. Maybe like… I don’t know, maybe like 3 months ago or something. Like, the realization of all this. I literally burnt the Bible that I had. It felt amazing. I felt so liberated.”
The documents also include a prompt Rinderknecht allegedly gave ChatGPT to produce AI-generated images of fires on July 11, 2024.
“A dystopian painting divided into distinct parts that blend together seamlessly. On the far left, there is a burning forest. Next to it, a crowd of people is running away from the fire, leading to the middle. In the middle, hundreds of thousands of people in poverty are trying to get past a gigantic gate with a big dollar sign on it. On the other side of the gate and the entire wall is a conglomerate of the richest people. They are chilling, watching the world burn down, and watching the people struggle. They are laughing, enjoying themselves, and dancing. The scene is detailed and impactful, highlighting the stark contrast and the direct connection between the different parts of the world.”
The images have that characteristically cartoony vibe that was much more common among AI-generated visual media a year ago.
The Palisades Fire drew national attention and attracted the typical self-promoters that pop up during any national tragedy. Elon Musk tried to suggest he saved “thousands” of lives from the Palisades Fire, along with the Eaton Fire, which also killed 19 people. The cause of the Eaton Fire is still unclear.
Musk’s platform X is currently spreading misinformation about the arrest of Rinderknecht, a white man. As New York Times reporter Kate Conger noted on Bluesky, the X news summary showed a photo of a Black man.
Rinderknecht has also gone by the names “Jonathan Rinder” and “Jon Rinder,” according to the complaint, and his first appearance in court is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET in U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida. The ATF took the lead in the investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a news conference on Wednesday that Rinderknecht has been charged with destruction of property by means of fire, but further charges, including murder, could be added.
“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” Essayli said in a press release.
“While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
