A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire that devastated parts of Southern California in 2025.
The decision came after jurors said they could not agree on a verdict for any of the three charges against him, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire.
The wildfire killed 12 people, destroyed thousands of structures and burned more than 23,000 acres, making it one of the most destructive fires in California’s recent history.
Jurors informed Judge Anne Hwang that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision after about 14 hours of deliberations, with 10 jurors favoring acquittal and two supporting a conviction.
Prosecutors plan to take the case back to court, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli saying the evidence is strong that Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025.
