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Florida man arrested in connection with massive Palisades Fire
Nine months after a wildfire tore through the Los Angeles area, killing 12 people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses, authorities in Florida arson arrest a suspect in connection with the blaze.
Jonathan Rinderknecht arrest federally with destruction of property by fire related to the Palisades Fire suspect, according to Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. Attorney for Southern California.
The suspect was living in the Pacific Palisades and working as an Uber driver at the time of the fire. He was arraigned in federal court in Orlando on Wednesday but didn’t enter a plea.
In a press conference, officials described Rinderknecht as an individual “obsessed with fire,” and said he had repeatedly watched a rap video that included clips of objects being set ablaze in the days leading up to Los Angeles arson.
Investigators also announced Rinderknecht had previously allegedly used ChatGPT to create a “dystopian painting” several months before the wildfire. The prompt reportedly described “a burning forest and a crowd fleeing from it.”
The federal criminal complaint states Rinderknecht told the AI program he wanted an image of “hundreds of thousands of people in poverty trying to get past a massive gate with a dollar sign on it, while the wealthy relax on the other side, watching the world burn.”
He allegedly said he wanted to show “the extreme difference in two parts of the world, and how they are interconnected.”
Rinderknecht was arraigned before a judge on Wednesday, who appointed him a public protector. His detention hail, firstly listed for Thursday, was laid over until October 17. Court records show he'll remain in guardianship until also.
Per the felonious complaint, the suspect — a motorist for Uber — dropped off a passenger on New Year’s Eve before driving up a near trail in the upmarket neighborhood. He reportedly stopped and recorded a few iPhone videos of the view before listening to the rap song a second time. It is then that he allegedly set fire to the area.
