Lawmen have busted an Uber driver they accuse of being the twisted firebug who ignited California’s deadly Palisades Fire that killed a dozen people, destroyed thousands of homes and left more than 23,000 acres in blackened cinders, according to People.
Authorities identified the pernicious pyromaniac as Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, who was arrested in Melbourne, Fla., Oct. 8 and charged with maliciously starting the blaze that ripped through Los Angeles County in January.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essaylicalls the blaze “one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction.
“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen … Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city.”
According to federal sources, two passengers driven by Rinderknecht “on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. [Dec. 31] later told law enforcement they remembered that Rinderknecht appeared agitated and angry…