Palisades Fire suspect asked ChatGPT about cigarette liability, prosecutors say Play

Just moments after the Palisades Fire was set, Jonathan Rinderknecht was standing near the point of origin and asked ChatGPT: "are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes?"

And as that New Year's Eve fire burned, GPS phone data shows that Rinderknecht drove around Pacific Palisades — sometimes right behind fire trucks responding to the blaze that federal prosecutors allege he started.

That's according to evidence from an ATF investigator testifying in the arson trial against Rinderknecht in the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

It gets worse.

Rinderknecht used his phone to search for news stories about the fire in the early hours of the morning as it burned. He tried to call and text an ex-boyfriend who lived in the area.

And when he got back to his North Hollywood apartment at around 3:45 a.m. January 1, records from Rinderknecht's phone show he played a French hip-hop song he'd become obsessed with, which has a video showing money set on fire.

That is according to testimony from U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agent Michael Montevidoni.

After the fire, Rinderknecht told arson investigators about his resentment toward the wealthy. And his phone had a video shot that night showing a green BIC barbecue lighter at the fire ignition point. The lighter was recovered in Rinderknecht's car.

This fire, just after midnight New Year's Day 2025, was called the Lachlan Fire. Prosecutors say it was the precursor to the Palisades Fire, which emerged from the smoldering ashes and claimed 12 lives and $50 billion worth of property.

The trial continues. No audio feed is allowed from inside federal courthouses.

Our story is based on reporting in the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News.