LOS ANGELES, California — A former resident of Pacific Palisades, now living in Florida, has been arrested and charged with maliciously starting the Palisades Fire of January 2025, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old from Melbourne, Florida, faces charges of destruction of property by means of fire, according to the Justice Department.

Rinderknecht, also known as "Jonathan Rinder" and "Jon Rinder," was arrested Tuesday and is expected to make his initial court appearance in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. "The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades," sai

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