Palisades Fire Trial Looms as Prosecutors Cite Alleged Arson and Angry Outburst
Prosecutors say 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht started a January 1 blaze that burned undetected before flaring into the Palisades fire, one of California’s deadliest wildfires that killed 12, after he was described by witnesses as angry and driving erratically on New Year’s Eve; he has pleaded not guilty and says he’s being scapegoated, while the defense points to firefighting testimony gaps as his June 8 trial approaches and independent reviews probe how the initial fire was handled.