Mistrial declared in Palisades wildfire arson trial
A mistrial was declared in the trial of a Florida man accused of arson and other charges connected to a wildfire that ripped through Los Angeles and killed a dozen people in early 2025, the Department of Justice confirmed June 26.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property and setting a timber fire, records show. The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 45 years in prison.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney of California's Central District, said the "evidence is strong" that Rinderknecht, 30, started a blaze in the early hours of New Year's Day 2025 that later grew into the Palisades Fire, one of the largest in Los Angeles history. Investigators say firefighters believed they had put out the flames, initially known as the Lachman Fire, but the fire continued to burn unnoticed underground until Jan. 7, 2025, when it grew thanks to strong winds.
"We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts," Essayli said on social media.
The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres, killed 12 people, destroyed nearly 7,000 homes and structures and caused more than $200 billion in economic losses, according to CalFire. It also resulted in the controversial firing of then-Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley. In a legal filing, Crowley said Mayor Karen Bass, who was out of the country when the fires began, made the longtime firefighter a scapegoat for the catastrophe.
The blaze, along with the Eaton Fire, displaced thousands of residents, some of whom found themselves reliving the trauma months later after Rinderknecht's arrest in October.
Rinderknecht's attorney Steve Haney told the court fireworks triggered the initial fire, and his client tried to stop it by calling 911. Haney said that the Palisades Fire was a separate blaze started by unidentified arsonists and that prosecutors lacked physical evidence linking Rinderknecht to arson. Haney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the mistrial from USA TODAY.
Meanwhile, prosecutors argued Rinderknecht had grown increasingly angry at the wealthy after a breakup and started the fire because he wanted "revenge against society." Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Williams told jurors in his opening statement that security camera footage and cellphone data indicate Rinderknecht was the only person in the area when the fire was started. Investigators had ruled out non-arson causes, including fireworks.
The jury had appeared to have reached a verdict June 25. However, jurors handed up a note that said "we have people on both sides that are deadset" after returning to the courtroom, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Contributing: Reuters; Swasti Singhai and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mistrial declared in Palisades wildfire arson trial
Reporting by N'dea Yancey-Bragg and James Powel, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 11:05 AM.