A bizarre back and forth between jurors took place in the Palisades Fire trial Thursday as accused firebug Jonathan Rinderknecht awaited his fate.
In a strange twist, the jury first told the court it had reached a unanimous decision just after 2 p.m., but then told the court they were at a standstill around 2:30 p.m..
Rinderknecht is accused of starting the blaze that eventually turned into the Palisades Fire a week later. U.S. Attorney's Office via AP
Rinderknecht’s attorney, Steve Haney, has said his client is being used as a scapegoat by city leadership. Rafael Fontoura for CA PostThe court sent a note back to the jury asking, “Are you unable to reach a unanimous verdict on each of the three charges, do not reveal the vote count in your answer.”
“We cannot reach a unanimous verdict on any of the charges,” the jury replied.
The jury was then ordered back to the court 9 a.m. Friday.
The Palisades Fire burned out of control starting on January 7, 2025. AP Photo/Etienne Laurent
Rinderknecht was charged with three felonies in connection to the blaze. REUTERSRinderknecht, 30, was indicted last October on one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire.
The three felony counts were tied to starting the Lachman Fire, a 2025 New Year’s blaze that was doused by firefighters only for it to survive underground and spark the deadly Palisades Fire a week later.
Prosecutors said Rinderknecht lit the fire on a hiking trail he had been to “hundreds of times” in the Pacific Highlands using a green Bic lighter investigators found in his car three weeks after the fire.
The Palisades Fire leveled 7,000 homes and businesses, caused $150 billion in damages and left 12 people dead. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was overseas in Ghana when the fire started despite heavy wind warnings in the days leading up to the blaze.
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