India, Oct. 8 -- Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old man arrested for "maliciously starting" the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles earlier this year, was working as an Uber driver in the neighborhood at the time of the blaze.

According to a federal criminal complaint, on January 1, 2025, Rinderknecht dropped off a passenger and then allegedly started a fire on a hiking trail in Pacific Palisades. The initial blaze, known as the Lachman Fire, burned about eight acres and did not destroy any structures.

However, strong Santa Ana winds may have reignited embers from the area, eventually fueling the larger and far more destructive Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and became one of the most devastating in Los Angeles history.

Two passe...