Palisades Fire Suspect Pleads Not Guilty During First Appearance In Los Angeles Courtroom - Beritaja

The man accused of igniting the deadly Palisades occurrence was backmost successful California Thursday, making his first quality successful a national courtroom successful downtown Los Angeles.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is charged pinch demolition of spot by intends of fire; 1 count of arson affecting spot utilized successful interstate commerce and 1 count of timber group afire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. He pleaded not blameworthy to the charges and was ordered to stay successful custody.

Appearing earlier Magistrate Judge Rozella A. Oliver successful a beige situation jumpsuit, Rinderknecht appeared disappointment and held his hands down his back.

At 1 point, he interrupted the proceeding, saying, “Can I mention thing about detainment?” earlier his attorney, Steve Haney, trim him off.

Haney asked for a break and they stepped retired of the courtroom for about 5 minutes.

“Obviously he’s frustrated,” Haney later told reporters about his client’s outburst successful court. “He’s a disappointment young man who is successful custody.”

Haney said the national authorities is utilizing his customer arsenic a “scapegoat.”

Rinderknecht lived successful Los Angeles erstwhile he allegedly group a occurrence — known arsenic the Lachman occurrence — connected New Year’s Day successful Temescal Canyon, according to national prosecutors. Investigators opportunity he was successful the area moving arsenic an Uber driver and dropping disconnected passengers adjacent an area wherever he formerly lived.

Authorities allege he maliciously started the Lachman occurrence adjacent Skull Rock conscionable aft midnight. Prosecutors cited witnesser statements, video surveillance, Rinderknecht’s cellphone information and an study of wherever the occurrence ignited.

Investigators besides recovered an AI-generated image of a burning metropolis connected Rinderknecht’s iPhone, according to Bill Essayli, acting U.S. lawyer for the Central District of California.

Environmental sensors first detected the Lachman occurrence astatine 12:12 a.m. connected Jan. 1. Phone records show Rinderknecht many times called and grounded to link to 911 wrong 5 minutes of the first signs of the fire, prosecutors said. Around that time, a resident called successful the occurrence to authorities.

Prosecutors opportunity that Rinderknecht past approached firefighters to effort and thief them put retired the blaze. He later told investigators that he saw the occurrence from the bottommost of a trail, but information from his iPhone showed that he was opinionated about 30 feet distant from the occurrence arsenic it spread, according to tribunal records.

Crews initially thought they had contained the Lachman fire, but national prosecutors opportunity it flared up again days later — increasing into the Palisades fire.

That occurrence yet burned 23,400 acres and destroyed much than 6,800 structures. Twelve group died arsenic the flames ripped done Pacific Palisades.

Haney asserted that his customer did not commencement the Lachman fire.

“There has to beryllium a relationship betwixt the two,” he said.

Rinderknecht, the boy of Baptist missionaries, spent a ample information of his puerility walking crossed the United States pinch his family. His parents unrecorded successful France and prosecutors declare Rinderknecht is simply a formation consequence owed to his family surviving overseas.

He antecedently lived successful Pacific Palisades, but lived successful Hollywood erstwhile the Lachman occurrence ignited, according to prosecutors.

Federal agents arrested Rinderknecht connected Oct. 7 astatine a location extracurricular Orlando, Fla. wherever he was staying pinch family. He has remained successful custody since then.

A assemblage proceedings is slated for Dec. 16 and Haney said he expects his customer will make different effort to beryllium released connected bond.