Palisades Fire trial begins with L.A. prosecutors blaming man distraught over his New Year’s plans

California WildfiresPalisades Fire trial begins with L.A. prosecutors blaming man distraught over his New Year’s plansA federal trial has begun for the New Year’s Day inferno that led to the destructive Palisades Fire. Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of three federal charges in the case.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025.David Swanson / AFP - Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 10, 2026, 4:27 PM EDTBy Alicia Victoria Lozano and Madeline MorrisonLOS ANGELES — A man distraught over a failed relationship “maliciously” started a New Year’s Day fire in the first hours of 2025 that, a week later, metastasized into one of the worst disasters in Los Angeles history, federal prosecutors said Wednesday in opening statements. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, stands accused of three federal charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. He pleaded not guilty in October and could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted. Federal prosecutor Matthew O’Brien said Rinderknecht was angry about not getting a New Year’s Eve invite and spent part of the night driving passengers for Uber. After completing a drop-off near a home he once shared with an ex-boyfriend, Rinderknecht climbed to a well-known hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, O’Brien said. Rinderknecht previously told investigators that the hiking spot, known as Skull Rock, was an “emotional” place for him that held sentimental meaning, O’Brien said. It was in that exact location that a small fire started shortly after 12 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025.That fire, known as the Lachman Fire, was not fully extinguished and continued to smolder undetected deep in root systems before reigniting a week later and becoming the deadly Pa...