Los Angeles Palisades Fire Suspect Indicted on Three Charges
(MENAFN) A federal grand jury handed down an indictment Wednesday against Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, accused of igniting the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles this January.
According to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Rinderknecht faces three charges: destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire.
Rinderknecht, formerly living in the affluent Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, has been held in federal custody since his arrest on October 7.
Investigators say he started a small fire on New Year’s Day that initially smoldered underground but later reignited, rapidly spreading throughout the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to many wealthy residents.
That minor blaze reignited a week later, escalating into the catastrophic Palisades Fire that claimed 12 lives and destroyed 6,837 buildings, the majority of which were homes.
If found guilty, Rinderknecht faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 45 years behind bars.
His arraignment is set for the coming weeks at the US District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
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