Mistrial Declared After Jury Votes 10-2 to Acquit in Palisades Fire Arson Case

The jury had sent a note the previous day stating it was at a standstill, with jurors on both sides unwilling to change their opinions. The panel voted 2-10 in favor of acquittal. Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver, faces charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire.

He was indicted in October 2025 and pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege he started the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025, which smoldered underground and reignited as the Palisades Fire on January 7. That fire killed 12 people and destroyed between 6,500 and 7,000 homes, businesses and structures, causing an estimated $150 billion in damages.

Prosecutors presented security video, cellphone data and digital records, including ChatGPT queries about cigarettes starting wildfires, to place Rinderknecht near the ignition point. Defense attorney Steve Haney argued that no accelerants were found, no witnesses saw the Lachman Fire start, the scene was not secured for days, and Rinderknecht made multiple 911 calls shortly after the fire began.

Attorney Bill Essayli said the government would retry the case. “The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire,” Essayli posted on X. Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.