Set Fire Using Paper-like Material
Reported Incident to Fire Department Himself
Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison if Convicted
The massive wildfire that swept through the Palisades and Malibu coastal areas of Los Angeles (LA), United States, in January this year has been revealed to be a man-made disaster caused by arson. On October 10th, Yonhap News, citing AP and Bloomberg, reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and federal prosecutors announced at a press conference on the 8th that Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, had been arrested on charges of property destruction by arson.
Rinderknecht is accused of setting a fire in the Pacific Palisades area on January 1st of this year, causing damage to extensive land and buildings across the LA region. The Department of Justice stated that if Rinderknecht is found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison. Prosecutors also noted, "We will decide in the coming days whether to bring additional charges against Rinderknecht." According to the indictment, Rinderknecht, who was working as an Uber driver at the time, dropped off passengers in Pacific Palisades and then drove his car near a hiking trail. He then ignited a paper-like material, starting the fire. Two passengers who had been in his vehicle at the time testified that "he appeared excited and angry."
After starting the fire, Rinderknecht reported the incident himself. He later asked ChatGPT, "If a fire starts because of a cigarette, is it my fault?" Authorities believe this indicates Rinderknecht was searching for ways to avoid or mitigate his responsibility. After committing the arson, Rinderknecht left the scene in his car but later returned to film firefighters as they battled the blaze. Additionally, it is believed that he had been contemplating starting a fire for several months prior to the crime.
The Palisades fire began spreading explosively on January 7th of this year and continued for more than three weeks. Photo by AP Yonhap News
The indictment includes an image Rinderknecht generated using ChatGPT in July of last year, depicting a crowd fleeing from a burning forest. Prosecutors commented, "This gives some insight into his thought process months before the incident." Meanwhile, the Palisades fire began spreading explosively on January 7th of this year and continued for more than three weeks. The wildfire devastated the Pacific Palisades area, destroying over 23,000 acres of forest, about 7,000 buildings, and resulting in 29 deaths. In particular, this wildfire is considered the worst in history in terms of economic damage.
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