After calling more than 30 witnesses over six days of testimony, federal prosecutors this week rested their case in the trial of the man accused of starting the deadly and historically destructive Palisades Fire that scorched swaths of Los Angeles in the early days of 2025.
Prosecutors worked to paint the defendant, Jonathan Rinderknecht, as someone who was angry at the world before he allegedly ignited a blaze that later erupted into the Palisades Fire, which claimed a dozen lives and thousands of homes and businesses.
Rinderknecht’s attorney has sought to undercut the government’s case, saying nobody saw his client light a fire. He has also emphasized the fact Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times when the initial blaze broke out.
After playing a recording of a 911 call during his opening statement, defense attorney Steve Haney told jurors, “The government says that’s the voice and actions of a man who started a fire … That’s the voice of a man who’s trying to stop a fire.”
Rinderknecht has been charged with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire. If convicted, Rinderknecht faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 45 years in federal prison, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Throughout the trial so far, Rinderknecht sat calmly at the defense table and, on most days, wore a black suit and tie. He often took notes, chatted with Haney, and sometimes smiled during the proceedings.
It is unclear whether he will take the stand in his own defense.
Here’s what we learned during the prosecution’s case in chief:
The alleged origin of the Palisades Fire
During opening statements, US Assistant Attorney Matt O’Brien told jurors they would hear from expert witnesses and investigators claiming Rinderknecht was the only person on a Palisades hillside clearing – known as the Hidden Buddha – in the late hours of New Year’s Eve 2024 and early hours of New Year’s Day 2025, when a fire broke out.
Prosecutors presented surveillance footage captured at nearby homes and by wildfire monitor cameras they said showed Rinderknecht’s rental car – he was working as an Uber driver that night – driving through the area before it parked near the Hidden Buddha location. Additionally, Rinderknecht told investigators he was alone when he hiked up to the Hidden Buddha clearing.
Then, in the early morning hours of January 1, 2025, a fire started in the area. Firefighters responded and suppressed the fire soon after.
“Investigators examined what caused the fire on January 1,” O’Brien told the jury during opening statements, and “it wasn’t an accident.”
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