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A passenger who rode with the man accused of sparking the deadly Palisades Fire on New Year’s Day in Southern California has spoken out about his unsettling encounter, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
Officials say 29-year-old Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht sparked a small fire after dropping off passengers during the holiday. The blaze later re-ignited on Jan. 7 amid strong winds and grew into the massive Palisades Fire.
Brennan White told FOX 11 that him and his fiancée were picked up by Rinderknecht on last New Year’s Eve, describing how the driver came across as “just a really angry guy.”
“He was a nut job,” White todl the outlet. “He kept on going about not finding girls and how horrible Trump was.”
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Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has been charged with igniting the blaze that eventually became the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. (USAttyEssayli/X)
He added that Rinderknecht appeared to be ranting more to himself than to his passengers.
White told FOX 11 that he had forgotten about the entire encounter until Los Angeles police detectives called him in February asking about their Uber driver, questioning his behavior and even inquiring about what the driver was wearing. White said he provided investigators with the ride receipt showing the driver’s name, “Jon,” along with the timestamp and location, according to the station.
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Firefighters watch a helicopter drop water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
After giving his statement, White reportedly said he didn’t think much more of it — until he later saw a photo of the man arrested in connection with the Pacific Palisades blaze.
“We were probably his earlier ride,” White said, noting they were dropped off in the San Fernando Valley just before midnight.
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An aerial view shows debris from burned properties following the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles on Jan. 10, 2025. (REUTERS/Daniel Cole )
White, who works as a bartender in Malibu, said the connection was especially disturbing, FOX 11 reported.
“I know so many people who lost their homes in that fire,” he explained, saying he wishes he had known of Rinderknecht’s intentions so that he could have done something to stop him.
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Uber said that it removed the driver’s access to the Uber platform as soon as the company learned of the driver’s suspected involvement and has worked closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) throughout the course of the investigation.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.