The man accused of starting one of the deadliest fires in California had a fixation on Luigi Mangione and displayed erratic behavior leading to the act of arson, according to the latest document filed ahead of his trial.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged in connection with the brush fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day. He has pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution argues this fire, which authorities thought they had extinguished, smoldered underground before growing into the Palisades Fire, which led to 12 deaths and tens of billions in property damage.
Rinderknecht’s attorneys say that he is being used as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to extinguish the fire.
He was arrested in his Melbourne home in October 2025. He has been charged with destruction of property by means of fire.
Evidence in the latest filing
Rinderknecht worked as an Uber driver on New Year’s Eve, making two separate trips. Passengers from both trips recalled seeing the suspect agitated and angry.
The latest filing, which outlines the prosecution’s strategy, revealed witness accounts leading up to the fire. Rinderknecht ranted to his Uber passengers about Mangione, who is accused of killing a UnitedHealthcare executive in December 2024, as well as capitalism and vigilantism, saying someone would do such a thing “out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money,” according to The Guardian.
He also left “two manic voicemails” to his co-worker, with whom he was previously in a relationship.
That night, documents allege, he repeatedly listened to a French rap song — the video for the song featured arson — on a hilltop in the area where the fire started.
Although the suspect called 911 several times at 15 minutes past midnight, by the time he finally reported the fire, the authorities had already been flagged by nearby residents.
The suspect’s lawyers respond
But, as the Los Angeles Times notes, it may be tough for the prosecutors to tie all this circumstantial evidence together.
In an email sent to The Associated Press on Sunday, Rinderknecht’s attorney Steve Haney said, “My client maintains his innocence as he has from the beginning and we look forward to clearing his name at trial.”
“The offered motive that my client started a fire on NYs Eve because he did not have a date speaks for itself.”
Haney also pointed to recent testimonies from a battalion chief, who walked the perimeter of the area that Rinderknecht was in at least four times to ensure the fire was put out.
Rinderknecht remains in jail while awaiting his trial on June 8, in accordance with a November 2025 ruling.