LOS ANGELES: A man suspected of deliberately starting the Palisades fire has been indicted on two additional felony counts.
Jonathan Rinderknecht now faces three arson-related charges for the blaze that became one of Los Angeles’s most destructive wildfires.
The 29-year-old is accused of maliciously igniting a fire on January 1 that smoldered undetected before erupting into a major conflagration.
This deadly wildfire killed twelve individuals and devastated the affluent Pacific Palisades community.
Rinderknecht was arrested earlier this month in Florida and initially charged with one count of destruction of property by fire.
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles added two further felony counts to his indictment on Wednesday.
The new charges include one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire.
If convicted on all counts, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 45 years in prison.
Rinderknecht remains in jail without bond awaiting his arraignment in U.S. District Court.
Prosecutors stated that an indictment eliminates the need for a preliminary hearing to establish probable cause.
The Palisades fire destroyed approximately 6,000 structures and caused an estimated 150 billion dollars in property damage.
This disaster coincided with the separate Eaton Fire that devastated much of the Altadena community.
Authorities allege Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver before heading to a Pacific Palisades hilltop trail.
Court documents state he listened to a rap song depicting fire before setting the real blaze just after midnight.
He reportedly fled the scene but returned shortly afterward to watch the flames and firefighting efforts. – Reuters
