who was arrested for palisades fire

A 29-year-old man named Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested for intentionally starting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles that occurred in January 2025. The fire killed 12 people and destroyed over 6,000 homes, making it one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. Rinderknecht, a former Uber driver, was taken into custody in Florida and charged with destruction of property by means of fire. Evidence against him included an AI-generated image depicting a burning city found on his digital devices. He is accused of starting the fire deliberately and faces federal arson charges that carry a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, with possible additional charges including murder.