(This story was updated to add new information.)
Authorities have arrested a 29-year-old in connection with the fatal Palisades Fire that scorched more than 23,000 acres in Los Angeles County earlier this year.
Jonathan Rinderknecht is alleged to have ignited a fire “that ultimately burned down” the Palisades area earlier this year, said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who, along with federal and local officials, joined to make the announcement at a morning press conference on Oct. 8.
The 29-year-old was arrested near his Florida residence on Oct. 7, said Essayli. The criminal complaint unsealed on Oct. 8 charged Rinderknecht “with destruction of property by means of a fire, a felony,” said Essayli. That carries a “mandatory minimum five-year federal prison sentence and is punishable by u