An arrest was made in the arson fire that burned down the Palisades earlier this year, killing 12 people, destroying more than 6,800 structures, both homes and businesses, and damaging over 1,000 more buildings.

After dropping off an Uber passenger in Pacific Palisades, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknech parked his car and tried but failed to contact a former friend. He gets out of the car, walks up a nearby trail, takes iPhone videos, and listens to a rap song. Its music video includes objects being lit on fire.

Then, twelve minutes into the new year, a fire is started. With weak cell service, Rinderknecht walks back down the trail, continually calling 911 until he finally connects, only to find out other residents already reported the fire.

As Rinderknecht drives away, he passes firefighters and turns back to watch them on the scene. He records while firefighters quickly extinguish the blaze, or so they thought.

The dense underbrush makes it difficult to see, and the roots underground continue to smolder. A week after the 911 calls reporting the Lachman fire, the Santa Ana Winds create an explosion of deadly fire, spreading the remains of the Lachman fire across LA, freshly named the Palisades fire.

Investigators question Rinderknecht as he repeatedly called 911 about the January 1st fire.

During those calls, Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT, “Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes?”

Rinderknecht gives conflicting statements about whether he smoked near the trail that night and where he was when he called. Rinderknecht claims he was at the bottom of the trail, but location data shows while speaking with 911, he’s just 30 feet from the fire’s origin.

Ultimately, Rinderknecht is charged.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Additional Guests

• Stephanie Lydecker – Executive Producer & Host of True Crime Tonight; Founder & CEO of KT-Studios.com
• Alexandra Pfeifer – Victim
• Dina Doll – Attorney, Trial Consultant, Mediator & Legal Analyst, Doll Amir Eley, LLP
• Nicholle Brock –  Firefighter, EMT, and Arson Expert
• Shannon Butler – Investigative Reporter at WFTV Channel 9, Florida
• Sydney Sumner – Investigative Reporter, ‘Crime Stories’

“Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” on Fox Nation is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.

[Feature Photo: FILE – The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen in an aerial view in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File). Inset: Jonathan Rinderknecht/US Department of Justice]