Authorities in California charged a 29-year-old man with starting a deadly fire that erupted into the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history and destroyed much of the wealthy Pacific Palisades neighborhood, officials announced Wednesday.
Federal law enforcement officials accuse 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of lighting a fire on New Year’s Day that was initially extinguished by fire crews, but continued to smolder underground before reigniting during high winds, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference.
Rinderknecht was arrested in Florida on Tuesday and is due to appear in court Wednesday. He faces charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire. Aisha Nash, the federal public defender assigned to represent Rinderknecht, has not responded to Associated Press requests for comment.
Rinderknecht fled the scene of the original fire, but returned to the same trail to watch it burn, Essayli said.
“He left as soon as he saw the fire trucks were headed to the location. He turned around and went back up there. And he took some video and, and watched them fight the fire,” Essayli said
