How ChatGPT and a lighter helped police catch suspect in Palisades Fire

Federal investigators say a 29-year-old former Uber driver, Jonathan Rinderknecht, used a lighter to spark the massive Palisades Fire — and left behind a digital trail that included eerie online searches and messages to ChatGPT.

On New Year’s Eve 2024, Rinderknecht finished his Uber shift in Los Angeles before heading to a hiking trail north of Pacific Palisades. Hours later, flames consumed the area in what became one of the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history.

According to court documents, Rinderknecht walked past “No Fires” signs toward a secluded clearing known locally as the “Hidden Buddha.” Investigators say he recorded a video of the site, played a French rap song with lyrics about despair, and then ignited a fire around 12:12 a.m.

Cameras captured the first signs of the blaze just minutes later. Firefighters initially contained the flames, but smoldering embers underground reignited days later, merging into what became known as the Palisades Fire.

The inferno destroyed thousands of homes, killed 12 people, and caused billions of dollars in damage.

A digital footprint that gave him away

Prosecutors say that in the hours before the blaze, Rinderknecht sent several messages to ChatGPT, asking:

“Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes?”

He also recorded screen captures of those messages and his 911 call attempts — evidence prosecutors believe he used to stage a false narrative of innocence.

Months earlier, investigators say he had used ChatGPT to create a dystopian image of a burning forest with wealthy onlookers “watching the world burn.” In another prompt, he admitted, “I literally burnt the Bible that I had. It felt amazing.”

Authorities say these digital interactions, combined with GPS data from his phone, placed Rinderknecht at the origin of the fire and revealed a disturbing fascination with destruction.

A haunting trail of behavior

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Rinderknecht later returned to the scene of the smaller Lachman Fire — believed to be the same blaze’s point of origin — and offered to help firefighters, behavior described as “highly unusual.”

“We wish we could understand what’s going on in someone’s mind, but we can’t,” said Kenny Cooper, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division. “People commit terrible acts for reasons we may never know.”

Rinderknecht, who also uses the names Jonathan Rinder and Jon Rinder, was arrested near his home in Melbourne, Florida. He previously lived in Pacific Palisades and knew the neighborhood where the fire began.

He now faces federal charges related to arson and could receive between five and twenty years in prison if convicted. A federal judge in Orlando has denied him bail, citing flight risk.

“Though homes and businesses cannot be rebuilt, this arrest, we hope, will bring a measure of justice to all those who were impacted,” said Essayli.

For residents of Pacific Palisades, recovery continues amid the ruins of what could become the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history.