Judge declares mistrial in arson case against man accused of sparking Palisades Fire

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson case against the 29-year-old man accused of sparking the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, after the jury said it could not agree on a verdict.Jurors deliberated for over 13 hours on Thursday on whether to convict Jonathan Rinderknecht on three federal charges, before announcing that they were deadlocked.“The court finds there is a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial because the jury is deadlocked,” Judge Anne Hwang said on Friday, with 10 jurors set on a not-guilty verdict and two others determined to convict.“We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion,” a note from the jury read by the judge said.The Palisades Fire scorched more than 23,000 acres in the affluent Palisades enclave last January, damaging more than 6,000 buildings and killing 12 people. The catastrophe thrust Los Angeles into the national eye, as images circulated of amber skies and mansions reduced to charred rubble.Upon arresting Rinderknecht last year, law enforcement officials alleged the fire was a continuation of a brush fire lit by the former Uber driver on New Year’s Day 2025. Firefighters worked to suppress that smaller blaze, known as the Lachman fire, but its embers smoldered underground before resurfacing due to heavy winds, according to officials.Rinderknecht was charged with three federal charges: arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire and timber set aflame.During the trial, prosecutors described Rinderknecht as a troubled individual who turned to arson as a means of retribution against society for grievances including a failed romantic relationship and a disdain for wealth inequality.Rinderknecht’s defense attorneys maintained their client was neither responsible for the Lachman fire nor the Palisades Fire. The lawyers suggested he was a good Samaritan, presenting evidence of his 911 calls on 1 January regarding the Lachman fire.Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in California on 7 January 2025. Photograph: David Swanson/AFP/Getty ImagesRinderknecht told investigators he was drawn to a hiking trail in his old neighborhood by “nostalgia”, according to Courthouse News, and that he spotted the fire as he was departing down the hill.Defense attorneys also argued the cause of that initial fire was fireworks, although the theory appeared to be undermined by conflicting witness testimony.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionRobert Appleford, a firefighter for the Los Angeles fire department, said on the stand he heard pyrotechnics that holiday, while his captain, Dave Sanders, testified saying he did not, according to the Associated Press. Rinderknecht also previously told investigators the evening of the fire had been “unusually calm” and sans any firework noise, per Courthouse News.Rinderknecht faced between five and 45 years of prison time.Prosecutors had asked Hwang to tell the jury to deliberate longer, but she said there was a “risk of coercion” given how definitive the jury seemed. The jury had said there was nothing the court could do to help and that they were split on all three charges.In a post on X, Bill Essayli, the US attorney in Los Angeles, said his office intends to retry the case before a new jury.Thousands of Los Angeles residents whose property was destroyed or damaged are suing the city and state of California over what they regard as negligence in the emergency response.The Associated Press contributed.