A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old man accused of sparking the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, after the jury said it could not reach a unanimous verdict on any of the three felony charges.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang declared the mistrial after jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours on Thursday and Friday. The final vote stood at 10 to 2 for acquittal, according to the court.
“The court finds there is a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial because the jury is deadlocked,” Hwang said Friday.
A note from the jury read aloud in court said: “We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion.” The jury had previously told the court that nothing could be done to help them reach a unanimous verdict on any of the counts against Rinderknecht.
Prosecutors had asked Hwang to instruct the jury to deliberate longer, but she declined, citing a “risk of coercion” given how definitive the jury appeared.
Rinderknecht faced three federal charges: arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire, and timber set aflame. He faced between five and 45 years in prison if convicted.
The Palisades Fire scorched more than 23,000 acres in the affluent Pacific Palisades enclave in January 2025, damaging more than 6,000 buildings and killing 12 people. The catastrophe drew national attention as images circulated of amber skies and mansions reduced to charred rubble.
Upon arresting Rinderknecht last year, law enforcement officials alleged the fire was a continuation of a smaller brush fire, known as the Lachman fire, that Rinderknecht had started on New Year’s Day 2025. Firefighters suppressed that blaze, but its embers smoldered underground before resurfacing during extreme Santa Ana winds, according to officials.
During the trial, prosecutors described Rinderknecht as a troubled individual who turned to arson as a means of retribution against society for grievances including a failed romantic relationship and a disdain for wealth inequality.
Rinderknecht’s defense attorneys maintained their client was neither responsible for the Lachman fire nor the Palisades Fire. They presented evidence of his 911 calls on Jan. 1 regarding the Lachman fire and argued he was a good Samaritan trying to help. Rinderknecht told investigators he was drawn to a hiking trail in his old neighborhood by “nostalgia” and spotted the fire as he was departing down the hill, according to Courthouse News.
Defense attorneys also argued the cause of the initial fire was fireworks. Robert Appleford, a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Department, testified on the stand that he heard pyrotechnics that holiday, while his captain, Dave Sanders, testified that he did not, according to the Associated Press. Rinderknecht previously told investigators the evening of the fire had been “unusually calm” and without any firework noise, per Courthouse News.
Bill Essayli, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said in a post on X that his office intends to retry the case before a new jury.
Thousands of Los Angeles residents whose property was destroyed or damaged are suing the city and state of California over what they regard as negligence in the emergency response.