Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of starting the fire that burned more than 20,000 acres in Southern California
NEED TO KNOW
- The federal trial of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict
- Jonathan Rinderknecht was being tried on arson charges, to which he pleaded not guilty
- According to reports, the jury had voted 10-2 in favor of acquittal while prosecutors vowed to retry the case
The trial of the man accused of starting the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire has ended in a mistrial, with jurors unable to reach a verdict.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was being tried in federal court on charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
But after two days of deliberations, jurors failed to come to a unanimous verdict and a mistrial was declared, according to reports from NBC News, KABC and the Los Angeles Times.…