Palisades arson trial begins
Fox News senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse reports on the federal arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of igniting last year’s deadly Palisades Fire. The defense claims the fire was started by fireworks, but prosecutors present electronic evidence, including cell phone data and screenshots asking ChatGPT if a cigarette could start a fire.
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The man accused of starting the New Year’s Day fire in 2025 that helped fuel the deadly Palisades inferno allegedly had behavior that matches someone who sought “societal revenge,” according to an expert who testified in court.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested in October 2025 and charged with destruction of property by means of fire and pleaded not guilty after being charged in connection with the Palisades Fire in January 2025. He’s currently facing trial in California. Behavioral analyst Kevin Kelm testified that he believes Rinderknecht’s behavior is similar to someone who is driven by “societal revenge.”
Kelm said in cases of societal revenge, the individual focuses on personal problems such as finance, relationships, work, lifestyle or anything they’re not capable of dealing with on a daily basis. He previously worked as a supervisory special agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.
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Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with igniting the blaze that became the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. (USAttyEssayli/X)
One of the ways Kelm said these kind of individuals don’t cope with these issues, and in this case, the act of setting a fire gives them some kind of emotional relief from the problems they face.
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Kelm also said the defendant’s use of ChatGPT was to make a “dystopian image” of the world, where he designed an image representing a barrier between rich people and other individuals who don’t have as much money.
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Jonathan Rinderknecht appears in federal court in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 9, 2025. He faces charges for allegedly starting a New Year’s Day fire that killed 12 people in Pacific Palisades, California. (Neftali Melendez/Unknown)
He said, however, ChatGPT wasn’t responding how Rinderknecht wanted, which frustrated him and shows he’s not able to deal with stresses.
Kelm’s assessment of a possible “societal revenge” motive stemmed from witness statements, video, pictures, academic literature and more.
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Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Apu Gomes/AFP)
Rinderknecht is charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. Fox News Digital reached out to his lawyers for comment.
Fox News’ Amanda Gillilan contributed to this report.