LOS ANGELES, June 27 (Our Los Angeles) — A federal judge in Los Angeles declared a mistrial in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict over allegations that he started the fire that became the deadly Palisades Fire.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to three federal counts: 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 spark a fire that later reignited and became the Palisades Fire.
Jurors told the court they were split 10-2 in favor of acquittal, according to the courtroom readout. Judge Anne Hwang declared the mistrial after more than 13 hours of deliberations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said his office plans to retry the case. AP and Reuters reported that Hwang set a retrial date of Oct. 19 and ordered Rinderknecht held until then, though Reuters said the date was tentative.
The Palisades Fire erupted on 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 fire killed 12 people.
