Merve Berker
26 June 2026•Update: 26 June 2026
A jury has reached an impasse in the federal trial of a former Uber driver accused of starting the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, media reports said Thursday.
After two days of deliberations, jurors told US District Judge Anne Hwang they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, according to NBC News.
A note to the court said jurors on both sides "are unwilling to change their opinion" and are "at a standstill."
Rinderknecht, 30, faces three federal charges, including arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, destruction of property by means of fire and setting timber afire in connection with the January 2025 blaze.
He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht intentionally started the Lachman Fire on a hiking trail known as Skull Rock in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1. They say the fire was not fully extinguished, reignited six days later and became the Palisades Fire.
Defense attorney Steve Haney argued the evidence raised significant doubt and maintained the two fires were separate incidents.
"This case is not about whether fire happened. It's about cause and integrity," Haney told jurors, arguing his client was being scapegoated for the city's failure to protect the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Haney also said no physical evidence linked Rinderknecht to the fire and suggested fireworks may have ignited the original blaze.
The Palisades Fire killed 12 people and destroyed about 6,800 structures, including the homes of several prominent celebrities, making it one of California's largest and costliest disasters.
Judge Hwang instructed jurors to resume deliberations on Friday.
