Palisades fire suspect appears at evidentiary hearing ahead of trial
Jonathan Rinderknecht, the suspect facing federal arson charges for allegedly starting the deadly Palisades fire of January 2025, appeared at an evidentiary hearing on Monday, where the judge overseeing the case deliberated the admissibility of certain evidence and witness testimony.
TL;DR
- Jonathan Rinderknecht, facing federal arson charges for the Palisades fire, appeared at an evidentiary hearing.
- The defense aims to introduce a previous case involving lead investigator ATF Special Agent Matthew Beals, alleging a pattern of bias.
- The defense also seeks to allow video deposition from an eyewitness, Ari Sallus, who is in the UK and claims the fire was caused by fireworks.
- Prosecutors asked the judge to exclude testimony from three defense experts regarding geolocation data and the fire investigation.
- Rinderknecht's trial is scheduled to begin in June, with jury selection starting on June 9.