Florida man pleads not guilty to starting deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Florida man accused of starting the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in January pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, faces charges of destruction of property by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce, and setting timber ablaze, with prosecutors warning that a conviction could bring a prison sentence of five to 45 years.

During Rinderknecht’s first appearance in a downtown Los Angeles court, his attorney, Steven Haney, sought to challenge his detention, citing his client’s clean criminal record and lack of mental health or drug issues, but US Magistrate Judge Rozella A. Oliver upheld a Florida judge’s Oct. 9 order to keep him in custody.

Just before his arraignment, Rinderknecht asked to speak about his detention, prompting a brief recess. He later returned to enter a plea of not guilty, with his trial scheduled to begin Dec. 16 and expected to last seven to 10 days.

He reportedly started a small fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground and later reignited, spreading through Pacific Palisades, home to many wealthy Los Angeles residents.

The small blaze rekindled a week later into the Palisades Fire, killing 12 people and destroying 6,837 structures, most of them homes.