The father of the man charged with igniting one of Southern California’s most devastating wildfires, which resulted in 12 fatalities, was seen outside a federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Wednesday as opening statements in his son’s trial commenced.
Prosecutors are aiming for a potential 45-year prison sentence for Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the deadly Palisades fire last year. On Tuesday, the jury selection concluded with a panel of nine women and three men, following Judge Ann Huang’s review of 46 possible jurors.
Some individuals in the jury pool had been impacted by the fire, with one woman visibly emotional as she recounted her experiences during the disaster.
Dressed in a green shirt and carrying a bag, Rinderknecht’s father refrained from speaking to the media outside the courthouse.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 30-year-old Uber driver, was indicted in October on three felonies related to arson and property damage. Initially, investigators linked the fire to Luckman, but it was later revealed that the Lachman Fire, which many believed had been contained earlier, actually reignited underground and led to the Palisades Fire shortly afterward.
Though he pleaded not guilty, Rinderknecht’s attorneys maintain that nearby fireworks were responsible for the blaze.
His father, a French missionary, traveled to Los Angeles in October 2025 to request his son’s release from a federal judge at the Roybal Federal Building.
However, just weeks before Rinderknecht’s arrest, his family contacted 911 after he allegedly threatened to burn down his sister’s home in Florida, where he had been residing. Police body camera footage captured his sister expressing her fears regarding her brother.
Additionally, a week following that incident, Rinderknecht’s father called 911 again upon discovering that his son had bought a handgun for “self-defense” against his brother-in-law.
