Jonathan Rinderknecht arrest federally with destruction of property by fire related to the Palisades Fire suspect, according to Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. Attorney for Southern California.

The suspect was living in the Pacific Palisades and working as an Uber driver at the time of the fire. He was arraigned in federal court in Orlando on Wednesday but didn’t enter a plea.

In a press conference, officials described Rinderknecht as an individual “obsessed with fire,” and said he had repeatedly watched a rap video that included clips of objects being set ablaze in the days leading up to Los Angeles arson.

Investigators also announced Rinderknecht had previously allegedly used ChatGPT to create a “dystopian painting” several months before the wildfire. The prompt reportedly described

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