LOS ANGELES, June 27 (Our Los Angeles) — A federal judge in Los Angeles declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is charged with setting a fire that prosecutors say later became the deadly Palisades Fire, after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Judge Anne Hwang said the panel was deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal after more than 13 hours of deliberations. She set a retrial for Oct. 19 and ordered Rinderknecht held in custody, according to the court proceedings.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and burning timber on public land. Prosecutors allege he used a barbecue lighter on Jan. 1, 2025, to start a fire that later reignited and became the Palisades Fire; defense lawyer Steve Haney has said the government lacked evidence tying a lighter or accelerants to his client.
The Palisades Fire erupted Jan. 7, 2025, burned more than 23,000 acres over more than three weeks and destroyed roughly 6,500 to nearly 7,000 structures, according to California fire officials. The blaze killed 12 people, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said his office plans to retry the case.
