Jonathan Rinderknecht is scheduled to stand trial on June 8 for allegedly setting the Palisades Fire that killed 12 people in January 2025 during a wave of blazes across the Los Angeles area, federal prosecutors said. According to court filings, Rinderknecht, a former Pacific Palisades resident and Uber driver, deliberately ignited a fire on New Year's Eve 2025 in the mountains overlooking the affluent coastal enclave, which later reignited and devastated the neighborhood and parts of Malibu.

Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht acted out of ideological opposition to wealth and capitalism, citing internet search history from December 2024 that included the phrases 'let's take down all the billionaires' and 'Free Luigi Mangione'—a reference to the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Rinderknecht's passengers on December 31 and January 1 reported him making angry outbursts about capitalism, vigilantism, and Mangione, describing him as erratic and enraged.

During a January 2025 interrogation, Rinderknecht reportedly said a potential arsonist might target the Pacific Palisades due to resentment toward the wealthy, stating, 'we're basically being enslaved by them,' according to federal documents. He was arrested in Florida in October and has denied all charges. Rinderknecht grew up in France and once lived in the neighborhood he is accused of attacking.

The court will resume pre-trial proceedings ahead of the June 8 trial date, with prosecutors expected to present digital evidence, witness testimony, and forensic findings linking Rinderknecht to the fire's origin point.