9LOS ANGELES, CA – Federal authorities have arrested a former Los Angeles resident now living in Florida for allegedly igniting the Palisades Fire , one of the most destructive wildfires in city history, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced Wednesday.

Jonathan Rinderknecht , 29, also known as “Jonathan Rinder” or “Jon Rinder,” was taken into custody Tuesday in Melbourne, Florida, and charged with destruction of property by means of fire . He is accused of deliberately setting the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025, which later reignited underground and spread a week later as the Palisades Fire, killing at least one person and destroying multiple homes.

Prosecutors: suspect’s anger led to “reckless, malicious act”

According to a federal aff

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