Uber driver arrested for starting LA blaze that killed 12

A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a devastating wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Jonathan Rinderknecht was detained on charges of starting the Pacific Palisades blaze, which erupted on 7 January and wiped out much of the affluent coastal neighbourhood.

The fire, which began on a hiking trail, burned more than 6,000 homes and buildings, including multimillion-dollar mansions with sweeping ocean views.

Prosecutors say Rinderknecht ignited the fire after finishing his shift as an Uber driver, then returned to the scene to film the flames as emergency crews arrived.

Arson investigators determined that the fire started near a popular hiking trail on the hillside of a state park overlooking the Pacific Palisades overnight in early January. It ravaged large parts of the Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu before firefighters were finally able to contain the blaze about 24 days later.

The finding that the fire was intentionally set could allow the federal government to potentially seek the death penalty.

Federal arson charges carry harsh mandatory minimum sentences that range from five to 20 years.

The sentences are even stricter if the arson leads to injury or death, in which case the government can seek up to life in prison or the federal death penalty.

He also made multiple 911 calls and asked ChatGPT whether a cigarette could start a fire, actions investigators say were attempts to build a false narrative of innocence.

Authorities believe the blaze was deliberately set using a lighter on dry vegetation or paper. A “barbecue-style” lighter was later found in Rinderknecht’s car, according to the criminal complaint.

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