Mistrial declared in arson trial of Palisades Fire suspect

A federal jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal in the arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man prosecutors accuse of igniting the blaze that became the catastrophic Palisades Fire. The judge declared a mistrial Friday, and the government says it will retry the case in the fall.

Tyler Grant June 26, 2026 at 8:37 PM

A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old man accused of starting the fire that prosecutors say grew into the devastating Palisades Fire, after the jury deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous verdict, ABC7 reported.

The split favored the defense. Jurors deliberated about 13 hours over two days before reporting they were stuck, with 10 jurors voting to acquit and two voting to convict on all three counts.

A deadlocked jury

The trial, which began June 8, ended without resolution after a tense final stretch. Jurors at one point signaled they had reached verdicts, then told the court they were at an impasse. After giving the panel more time, the judge concluded Friday that no unanimous decision was possible and declared a mistrial.

Jurors who spoke afterward described an unbridgeable divide. One told reporters the panel had "people on both sides that are dead set, unwilling to change," and others said they felt the government's case left too much doubt, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The charges and the government's theory

Rinderknecht, who worked as a rideshare driver at the time, faced three federal counts: arson, malicious destruction of property by means of fire, and setting timber aflame. He has maintained his innocence and remains in federal custody.

Prosecutors alleged that in the early hours of January 1, 2025, Rinderknecht set a smaller blaze — which investigators called the Lachman Fire — in the hills above Pacific Palisades, and that embers smoldered for days before Santa Ana winds revived the fire on January 7, sending it through Pacific Palisades and into Malibu. The government's case relied on geolocation data, phone records, security footage and other circumstantial evidence. The defense argued there was no direct proof its client started any fire and pointed to New Year's fireworks as an alternative ignition source.

What happens next

Prosecutors signaled they intend to try the case again. A status conference is scheduled for July 15, with a retrial tentatively set for October 19, ABC7 reported.

A neighborhood still recovering

The Palisades Fire was one of the most destructive in California history, killing 12 people and destroying thousands of homes across Pacific Palisades and Malibu. More than a year and a half later, recovery remains painfully slow: by the time of the trial, only a small number of destroyed homes in Pacific Palisades had been certified for occupancy, leaving many former residents still displaced.

For those survivors, who have waited more than a year for an account of how the fire began, the mistrial means that question — and any sense of legal resolution — will remain open at least until the fall.