
Anger at the World Fueled Palisades Fire, Suspect Was Furious on New Year’s Eve
Prosecutors say 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht sparked the Palisades Fire after New Year’s Eve, describing himself as angry at the world, with witnesses recalling erratic Uber rides and rants about capitalism. They allege he started a fire on January 1 that burned undetected in root systems before flaring again days later in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, killing 12 people; his trial is set for June 8, and his lawyers say he is being used as a scapegoat for the fire department’s handling of the earlier blaze.













