Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint alleging he maliciously started the Palisades Fire in January. The fire, which began in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day, became one of the most destructive in Los Angeles history, resulting in deaths and widespread destruction. Evidence recovered from Rinderknecht’s digital devices included an image generated via ChatGPT depicting a burning city. Rinderknecht is scheduled for an initial appearance today at 1:30 p.m. EDT in U.S. District Court in Orlando. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.