malicious destruction by means of a fire

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, after the jury deadlocked with 10 jurors favoring not guilty and two seeking conviction. Prosecutors plan to retry the case, citing strong evidence linking Rinderknecht to the fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who was accused of starting the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The jury deadlocked 10-2 on all three federal charges, including arson and malicious destruction by fire, with prosecutors uncertain if they will retry the case.

Opening statements began in the federal arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of sparking the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Rinderknecht, who pleaded not guilty, faces charges including malicious destruction by fire, with prosecutors citing geolocation data and a seized lighter as evidence. The defense argues he is a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department's alleged negligence, but a judge ruled such claims irrelevant for the trial.