Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old Uber driver, has been arrested in connection with the Pacific Palisades fire that devastated Los Angeles earlier this year, federal prosecutors confirmed. The fire, which started on New Year's Day, eventually burned over 23,000 acres, killed 12 people, and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
According to court documents, Rinderknecht allegedly set a small blaze near a trailhead in Topanga State Park on 1 January after finishing his driving shift in an 'agitated and angry' state. Firefighters initially contained the blaze, but it smouldered underground and reignited on 7 January amid powerful winds, becoming the Palisades fire.
Prosecutors revealed that Rinderknecht had used ChatGPT to generate images and prompts fixated on fire and destruction, including a dystopian scene of a city burning. In one exchange, he asked the chatbot: 'Are you at fault if a fire is lift because of your cigarettes?' and wrote about burning a Bible, describing the act as 'liberating'.
Authorities also detailed how Rinderknecht attempted to cover his tracks, calling 911 to report the fire but lying about his location. Geolocation data showed he was only 30 feet from the flames. He later returned to the scene and filmed firefighters responding, behaviour described as 'highly unusual'.
Rinderknecht has been charged with destruction of property by means of fire, carrying a minimum sentence of five years in prison. He remains in custody in Florida, where he had relocated, and is considered a flight risk due to family ties in France.
