A federal agent testified in court on Thursday that the man on trial for starting the tragic Palisades fire had been looking up the address of DoorDash’s CEO with the intent to kill him. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, whose federal arson trial began in Los Angeles, was described by prosecutors as being “obsessed” with CEO killer Luigi Mangione long before the fire occurred, indicating a motive stemming from a “rich man’s grudge.”
In striking testimony, ATF Special Agent Michael Montevidoni stated that an investigation revealed Rinderknecht had asked ChatGPT for the address of DoorDash co-founder and CEO Tony Hsu, expressing he was “intending to kill him.”
Furthermore, Rinderknecht allegedly inquired about the presence of children or security cameras at Xu’s residence.
Prosecutors argue that Rinderknecht, an Uber driver who had worked for DoorDash, frequently searched for terms like “free Luigi Mangione” and “take down all billionaires.”
According to Montevidoni, several Uber passengers recounted how Rinderknecht voiced support for Mangione on the night of the fire.
One passenger recalled feeling disturbed after their ride, commenting that Rinderknecht seemed unbalanced and hinted at extreme views about capitalism and figures like President Trump. “I told my friend Sam, ‘He’s a psychopath; I just know it, maybe a serial killer or something,'” Macy Miller testified, saying she had an unsettling feeling afterward.
Witnesses described Rinderknecht as “angry, violent, erratic,” often ranting about various topics like his hatred for capitalism and support for vigilantism.
Prosecutors presented a timeline with evidence including photographs, videos, cell phone records, and ChatGPT messages, alluding to Rinderknecht’s attempt to mislead investigators concerning his actions during the fire.
They highlighted that Rinderknecht had called 911 multiple times shortly after the fire erupted. During one call, he was recorded saying, “Fire, fire. There is a fire atop the Pacific Palisades Highlands.” He even screen-recorded this interaction while asking ChatGPT, “If a cigarette caused a fire, would you be responsible?”
Montevidoni described these actions as suspicious, suggesting that Rinderknecht appeared to be trying to create an alternative explanation for the fire while documenting his own narrative.
Rinderknecht has denied all charges related to starting the massive blaze that wreaked havoc, destroying 7,000 homes and businesses, resulting in $150 billion in damages, and causing 12 fatalities.
