The man indicted on suspicion of igniting the Palisades and Lachman fires in Los Angeles pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday evening.
The 29-year-old suspect, Jonathan Rinderknecht, pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday.
A federal grand jury indicted Rinderknecht on Oct. 15 on three counts related to arson. If he is ultimately found guilty on all counts, Rinderknecht could face punishment of up to 20 years in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California, who announced the arrest of Rinderknecht on Oct. 8, signed the indictment.
“Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city,” Essayli wrote on X of Rinderknecht’s arrest. “While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy.”
The Justice Department suspects Rinderknecht started the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1, an initial fire that later sparked the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7.
The Palisades Fire was one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, blazing for 24 days, destroying 6,837 structures, and killing a dozen people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
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The Palisades Fire raged simultaneously with the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County. The twin January blazes caused mass destruction across southern California, with the Eaton Fire killing 19 people and destroying 9,414 structures.
The cause of the Eaton Fire is still under investigation.
