A suspect has been apprehended by federal law enforcement in connection with the Palisades Fire that resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and devastated thousands of acres of land. Evidence includes an AI-generated image of a burning city allegedly created by the suspect using ChatGPT.
Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced on Wednesday that 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht from Florida is facing charges for “maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.”
According to the Department of Justice, Rinderknecht is linked to the wildfire investigation through video surveillance, witness accounts, and cellphone records that placed him near the fire’s origin. During a recent press briefing, Essayli revealed further evidence, which includes a prompt from ChatGPT asking for a “dystopian painting depicting a burning forest and a fleeing crowd.” It is alleged that Rinderknecht generated the image several months ahead of the fire.
The DOJ confirms that Rinderknecht is accused of igniting the Lachman Fire, which began on January 1, 2025. Initial efforts to control the blaze were met with success; however, it later reignited and escalated into the Palisades wildfire, marking one of California’s most destructive fires in its history. The wildfire impacted the Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu areas, scorching over 23,000 acres and resulting in the destruction of more than 6,000 structures, based on information from the state of California.
Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht, who resided in Pacific Palisades at the time, dropped off a rideshare passenger on New Year’s Eve before parking his vehicle near a trailhead known as Skull Rock. It is claimed that he walked along the trail while recording videos on his iPhone and listening to the French rap song “Un Zder, Un Thé,” which features imagery of someone setting a trash can ablaze, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
Rinderknecht is said to have ignited the fire just after midnight on January 1, subsequently calling 911 to report the incident. During the call, he reportedly queried ChatGPT, asking, “Are you liable if a fire is caused by your cigarettes,” as noted in the report by the LA Times.
