A felony vandalism trial has begun for a man accused of starting the fire that killed Palisades

In their opening statement, prosecutors told a federal judge Wednesday that Jonathan Rinderknecht, driven by a desire for revenge against the community, used a simple device to deliberately set what would become the deadliest fire in Los Angeles history.

Rinderknecht’s attorney argued that his client, a 29-year-old former Uber driver, had gone up the hill on New Year’s Eve 2024 to watch fireworks and immediately called 911 when she saw the fire. He said the evidence will show that the fire was caused by explosives.

“Jonathan didn’t start the fire,” defense attorney Steve Haney told jurors.

At Rinderknecht’s trial, which began this week in LA city court, separate images emerged of the man accused of starting the Lachman fire, which smoldered underground for a week before exploding in the deadly Palisades fire on January 7, 2025.

Investigators say he was in the area working as an Uber driver and dropping off passengers on New Year’s Eve near his former residence.

Authorities say the Lachman fire near Skull Rock in Temescal Canyon started just after midnight. Prosecutors cited witness statements, video surveillance, data from Rinderknecht’s cell phone and an analysis of where the fire originated.

Investigators also found an AI-generated image of the burning city on Rinderknecht’s iPhone, according to First Assistant US Atty. Bill Essay.

The Palisades fire killed 12 people, destroyed 6,500 buildings in the Palisades and Malibu and cost millions. damage and insurance claims.

Rinderknecht, who has been in custody since October, is charged with arson, burning commercial property and timber.

If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.

More than 70 people packed the courtroom Wednesday morning, including Rinderknecht’s father, who sat in the front row, and Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Palisades. Before opening arguments, Rinderknecht fixed his hair and his lawyer helped adjust his tie, before patting him on the back.

During his opening, Asst. US Atty. Matthew W. O’Brien identified Rinderknecht and said investigators determined he was the only person near the fire that started on January 1.

Emergency services first detected the Lachman fire at 12:12 a.m. Phone records show Rinderknecht made repeated calls and failed to connect to 911 within five minutes of the first signs of fire, prosecutors said. At that time, a resident called the authorities to the fire.

Prosecutors say Rinderknecht then spoke to firefighters to try to help them put out the fire. He later told investigators he could see the fire coming from the ground, but his iPhone data showed he was standing about 30 feet away from the fire as it spread, according to court records.

Prosecutors say evidence shows that the Lachman fire – which officials thought had been extinguished for hours on Jan. 2 – smoked for many days and reigned in the middle of a strong storm on January 7. Within three weeks of the fire, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents focused on Rinderkchne, who also called firerknecht 91.

Investigators seized a Bic barbecue lighter from Rinderknecht’s car with his DNA on it that he admitted to having in Pacific Palisades, according to the government’s case report.

Asked by the investigator on Jan. 24 why someone would light this fire, Rinderknecht said “it could be because of the anger of the rich enjoying their money” and “compared the act of ‘desperation'” to Luigi Mangione’s killing of a United Healthcare executive on a New York street in December 2024, according to federal prosecutors.

In court on Wednesday, O’Brien said that Rinderknecht knows the area well because he lived there for the past few years with his boyfriend, who rented a large house with a pool. That relationship later ended and Rinderknecht moved into a small apartment in North Hollywood, where O’Brien says “his life started to fall apart.”

“You’re going to hear that in 2024, the defendant was a loner with no real friends,” O’Brien said. “He lived alone and was withdrawn.”

He said the evidence would show that Rinderknecht “wanted revenge.”

“He is taking revenge on the community because he blames the community for all his problems,” he said.

Rinderknecht’s attorney played a 911 call for jurors, in which he told authorities “there’s a fire, there’s a fire.”

“The evidence will show that it is not the words and actions of the person who puts out the fire, it is the words and actions of the person who tries to stop the fire,” said Haney. “The evidence will show that Jonathan did not start the Lachman fire on January 1, 2025.”

Haney noted that investigators “found no accelerants, found no incendiary devices that could be connected to my client.” He told jurors “there is no physical evidence they have found linking Jonathan to the act of starting the Lachman fire.”

The wider impact of the fire was clear during jury selection, which began on Monday. An investment adviser said three of his clients “don’t have enough to rebuild” their homes after the fire. One woman’s voice shook as she described working at a health center in Santa Monica, where they saw the flames last year. He said about 7 affected patients may not be able to go where they came from, because their houses were burnt.

“I’m sorry, I’m emotional,” he said.

Both potential judges were dismissed. But other victims were still sitting before the judge, including one woman who said her best friend’s daughter lost her home in the Palisades fire and another who said her cousin was evicted, causing “emotional turmoil in her life.”