Judge declares mistrial in California wildfire arson case

Judge declares mistrial in California wildfire arson caseImage source, Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesByNardine SaadReporting fromLos AngelesPublished26 June 2026, 18:08 BSTUpdated 9 minutes agoA judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a man accused of starting the deadliest wildfire in Los Angeles history.Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, is accused of deliberately lighting a blaze in January 2025 that grew into the Pacific Palisades fire, killing 12 people and destroying more than 6,000 buildings.Jurors told the court on Thursday that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision in the case after two days of deliberations, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial. Prosecutors said they intend to retry the case.The fire was one of several that ignited back-to-back across the LA region in January, which in total left 31 people dead and destroyed 16,000 structures.Rinderknecht, who once lived in the affluent coastal community, was arrested in October and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He faced up to 45 years in prison on all charges.Prosecutors argued the accused used ChatGPT like a diary, chronicling his fascination with fire before travelling to the area and lighting the blaze.To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedFigure caption, Watch: Palisades fire burns homes as thousands evacuate in LARelated topicsUnited StatesLos AngelesCaliforniaWildfiresMore on this storyHow one street in LA went up in flamesPublished12 January 2025Pearls, a power saw and a lawnmower toy: What LA fire survivors went back forPublished11 January 2025Powerful photos reveal dramatic scenes as LA fires ragePublished9 January 2025'I have nothing to go back to' - LA fires heartbreak Published10 January 2025