Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old charged with igniting the Palisades fire that killed 12 people in January, was driving erratically around Los Angeles on New Year's Eve while ranting to Uber passengers about wealth inequality and the ultrarich, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.
Passengers described Rinderknecht as angry and intense during his driving shifts on December 31, 2024, court papers say. He ranted about being "pissed off at the world" and discussed capitalism and vigilantism with riders, according to the prosecutorial memo filed in late April.
Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht set a fire on January 1 that smoldered undetected in root systems underground before erupting into the massive wildfire that swept through Pacific Palisades and Malibu seven days later. When questioned by investigators about what might motivate arson in the wealthy neighborhoods, Rinderknecht told them it could stem from "resentment of the rich enjoying their money as 'we're basically being enslaved by them.'" He also referenced Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson.
Court filings indicate Rinderknecht was also upset over a failed romantic relationship and disappointed about having no plans for New Year's Eve.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to begin June 8. His attorney Steve Haney dismissed the prosecution's motive theory, saying in a statement that "the offered motive that my client started a fire on New Year's Eve because he did not have date speaks for itself."
Haney's defense strategy centers on blaming the Los Angeles Fire Department for failing to fully extinguish the initial January 1 blaze. In court documents supporting a bid for Rinderknecht's release in March, Haney pointed to testimony from a firefighter who reported seeing smoldering ground and active hotspots on January 2, the day after the fire began. A battalion chief, however, testified that he walked the perimeter four times throughout that day and confirmed all hotspots were extinguished.
The contradicting testimonies alarmed Fire Chief Jaime Moore, who was appointed to the position in October. Moore said he is concerned about the discrepancies and commissioned an independent report to examine how the January 1 fire was handled. Haney argued that this evidence was unavailable to the defense when Rinderknecht was indicted.
Author James Rodriguez: "The fire department's own conflicting accounts on hotspot control have handed the defense real ammunition, and if Moore's independent review shows gaps in suppression efforts, this prosecution faces serious headwinds."
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