A federal judge on Friday declared a mistrial in the case against the man accused of deliberately igniting the fire that prosecutors say ultimately grew into the devastating Palisades Fire, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges, including arson and destruction of property by means of fire. After roughly two days of deliberations, the jury informed U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang that it was hopelessly deadlocked. According to multiple reports, the panel was split 10-2 in favor of acquittal.
On Thursday, jurors briefly told the court they had reached a verdict before returning about 30 minutes later to say they had not.
When the judge asked whether additional instructions or a rereading of testimony would help break the impasse, the jury responded that “there is nothing the court can do to assist the jury in their deliberations” and that it could not reach a unanimous verdict, according to Fox News.
Following the ruling, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said prosecutors intend to pursue the case again.
“The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire,” Essayli wrote on X. “We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts.”
Federal prosecutors allege Rinderknecht intentionally started a small brush fire on New Year’s Day 2025 that smoldered for days before reigniting under powerful Santa Ana winds on Jan. 7, becoming the Palisades Fire. The blaze killed 12 people, destroyed thousands of structures and caused an estimated $35 billion to $45 billion in damage, making it one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history.
With the mistrial declared, the Justice Department is expected to retry the case before a new jury.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
READ NEXT: Janice Dean Says Goodbye To Fox News After 22 Years On Air
