Jonathan Rinderknecht Republican or Democrat? Pacific Palisades fire suspect linked to Biden donations

Updated on: Oct 08, 2025 10:31 pm IST

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Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has been arrested in Florida as a suspect in the Pacific Palisades fire that killed 12 and damaged over 6,000 homes.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old man from Florida, has been detained as a suspect in igniting the January Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles, which damaged over 6,000 houses and claimed 12 lives.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, from Florida, has been arrested as a suspect in the January Pacific Palisades fire that caused significant damage and loss of life.(AP)

At a press conference, representatives of the Justice Department declared that Rinderknecht has been taken into custody in Orlando, Florida.

The officials claimed that evidence gathered from his electronic devices revealed a picture of a burning city that he created using ChatGPT.

Pacific Palisades fire broke out on January 7 near a famous hiking trail that overlooks the rich beachfront area.

Also Read: Jonathan Rinderknecht motive: Why Florida man sparked Pacific Palisades fire in January? Details out

Jonathan Rinderknecht arrest and charges against him

Rinderknecht was held in Florida on Tuesday and was charged with causing property destruction via fire, Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli stated in the Los Angeles press conference.

“While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy,” Essayli said in post on X.

As he was a former native of the Pacific Palisades, authorities said he knew the neighborhood well. He allegedly started the fire using an open flame after finishing a ride as an Uber driver at around midnight on New Year's Eve.

The suspect is scheduled to make an appearance in court on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Jonathan Rinderknecht Republican or Democrat?

According to data shared by Reporter Matthew Foldi, Rinderknecht is a Joe Biden supporter, who even made donations for then President in 2020.

According to the source information, the city and state address on the receipt is mentioned as Los Angeles, CA 90272.

The date on receipt is September 11, 2020, with memo saying: “Embarked for Biden for President (C00703975).”

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