who was arrested for the palisades fire

A 29-year-old man named Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested in connection with the Palisades Fire that occurred in January 2025. He was charged with intentionally igniting the fire, which caused devastating damage, killing 12 people and destroying over 6,000 homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Rinderknecht was taken into custody in Florida and faces federal charges of property destruction by means of fire, which carry a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. Evidence found on his devices included a dystopian AI-generated image of a burning city, and authorities allege he attempted to mislead investigators about the fire's origin. This arrest marks an important step towards accountability for this deliberate act of arson.