Disgustingly petty reason Palisades Fire suspect, 30, allegedly started blaze that decimated ritzy California enclave

The suspect accused of causing the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles last year allegedly hated the rich and was upset he had no plans for New Year’s Eve, according to court filings. 

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, has been painted as an angry, resentful man who was annoyed at the world and felt he was ‘enslaved’ by the rich, according to a new memorandum filed by prosecutors ahead of his trial. 

The deadly blaze killed 12 people, razed more than 23,400 acres and destroyed over 6,800 structures when it ripped through the California enclave in January 2025. 

Rinderknecht, who is facing three federal charges relating to the fire, was also allegedly fixated on Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione – an alleged vigilante murderer accused of killing a top healthcare CEO in New York City. 

In a trial memorandum seen by the Daily Mail, prosecutors noted: ‘Many of defendant’s Uber passengers on December 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025, described defendant as angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world’ and Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism.’ He is also said to have been distressed not to receive any invitations to attend New Year’s Eve celebrations. 

After his arrest, the alleged arsonist was asked by investigators why someone might start a fire in the Pacific Palisades.

He allegedly gave the answer: ‘Out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money as ‘we’re basically being enslaved by them’ and compared such an act of ‘desperation’ to the murder for which Mangione was charged,’ the memo stated.

Rinderknecht was ‘fixated’ on suspected murderer Mangione, the court documents stated. Mangione, 28, is in jail awaiting trial for the murder of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was gunned down on the street in Midtown Manhattan. 

In the month before the horrific fire erupted, Rinderknecht searched online for the terms ‘free Luigi Mangione,’ ‘lets take down all the billionaires,’ and ‘reddit lets kill all the billionaires,’ according to the memo. 

The new filing also alluded to Rinderknecht’s alleged historic obsession with fires. 

Rinderknecht was in an argument with his sister in April 2025, when he ‘blew up’ at her and threatened to burn her house down, the filing said. Her family, whom Rinderknecht was staying with at the time, called 911 on him multiple times. 

In August 2024, Rinderknecht allegedly burned a Bible and described the act as ‘necessary’ and ‘amazing,’ the filing claimed. 

Authorities have traced the Palisades Fire back to the smaller Lachman Fire, which Rinderknecht is accused of igniting just after midnight on January 1. 

The Lachman Fire appeared to be contained by firefighters at the time, but it continued to ‘smolder and burn underground.’ 

This led to January 7 – when heavy winds picked up and flames began spreading in what became known as the Palisades Fire that decimated the neighborhood.

On the fateful night that the fire was started, Rinderknecht allegedly dropped off an Uber passenger and tried to contact an ex-lover, who did not reply to him.

He scaled the Buddha Hill clearing, and listened to a rap song about ‘despair,’ whose music video included things being lit on fire, the memo stated. 

Rinderknecht then lit a fire and by 12.12am on New Year’s Day, he was watching the blaze grow on Buddha Hill. He then called 911 many times, according to the memo. 

Rinderknecht’s attorney said at a hearing in October that he shouldn’t be penalized for the Palisades Fire when he allegedly started the smaller one beforehand.

‘My client is being charged with a fire that started seven days after,’ attorney Steve Haney said.

Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to the three charges relating to the Palisades fire – one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one of arson affecting property, and one of timber set afire. His trial is set to begin on June 8. 

If convicted, the suspected arsonist faces up to 45 years in prison.