A federal judge on Tuesday, Nov. 18, denied a request that the man accused of starting the Palisades fire be released on bond — citing concerns about his mental health, relationship with family members and apparent purchase of a firearm.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, will remain in custody until his trial begins, tentatively scheduled for April.
U.S. Judge Rozella A. Oliver’s ruling came after Rinderknecht’s father, Joel Rinderknecht, testified that despite prior issues, his family members were fully supporting the defendant because they believe he is innocent and unjustly accused.
Rinderknecht’s attorney, Steve Haney, called the case “nothing but a misrepresentation and for my client to be detained for five months because of a wafer-thin indictment” is unjust.
“His name, his reputation is being sullied beyond belief,” he said.
He argued for Rinderknecht to stay with his parents — who would move from France to Florida, where the defendant’s sister lives — and said they have the financial means to make sure he would make all future court appearances. He also added that Rinderknecht’s sister and brother-in-law were willing to contribute financially if needed.
However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Alexander argued that though Rinderknecht’s family supports him, the plan being proposed to have him stay with family in Florida had “already been tried and it failed miserably.”
“The relationship devolved so much that they asked him to leave and he wouldn’t,” Alexander said.
While he was staying in their Florida home, Rinderknecht’s sister and brother-in-law offered moving expenses and $10,000 – about $15,000 in total – to help move him into an apartment in San Francisco, she said, but he refused, saying he wouldn’t take less than $25,000.
Rinderknecht, who faces three federal charges in relation to the devastating Palisades fire, allegedly had a loaded .380 magazine in his pocket during his October arrest in Florida and hid a handgun in a stuffed animal in the garage of his sister’s home, just feet from the ground and within reach of her two children, federal authorities said in a court document asking the judge to keep him held in jail until his trial.
Alexander, during Tuesday’s hearing, presented body-worn camera footage from officers in Florida with the defendant’s sister and his father expressing concern about his mental health, including one in which his sister said he “has mental-health issues,” gets “super angry” and is paranoid and delusional.
Before Tuesday’s detention hearing, federal prosecutors alleged Rinderknecht is a flight risk due to his international ties, is a danger to the community because of volatile confrontations with his sister and brother-in-law, has suffered declining mental health, and is untrustworthy because he has lied to federal agents.
In court filings, prosecutors shared text messages and photographs in support of their stance in an effort to convince the judge to keep Rinderknecht in custody.
Rinderknecht faces charges of destruction of property by fire, setting timber afire, and arson affecting property used in interstate commerce for allegedly starting the Lachman fire on New Year’s Day. That fire, officials say, smoldered underground for days until fierce winds kicked the blaze back up to create what is known as the Palisades fire that killed 12 people and destroyed about 7,000 structures.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his attorney has argued that Rinderknecht has been made a scapegoat for the failure of firefighters to fully extinguish the Lachman fire. Outside of court, Haney questioned his client’s ties to the Lachman blaze.
He maintained that prosecutors have not presented direct evidence that Rinderknecht started the Lachman fire, citing a report from a 911 caller that a firework appeared to start the blaze.