Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks in arson trial over deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles

By — Jaimie Ding, Associated Press Jaimie Ding, Associated Press By — Christopher Weber, Associated Press Christopher Weber, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/mistrial-declared-after-jury-deadlocks-in-arson-trial-over-deadly-2025-palisades-fire-in-los-angeles Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks in arson trial over deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles Nation Jun 26, 2026 1:57 PM EDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against the man accused of sparking the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles after the jury said it could not agree on a verdict. Prosecutors said they will try again. Jurors said a day prior they had come to a standstill in deliberations in the trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on three federal charges: arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire and timber set aflame. WATCH: Authorities arrest man accused of starting massive Pacific Palisades fire "The court finds there is a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial because the jury is deadlocked," Judge Anne Hwang said, with 10 jurors set on a not-guilty verdict and two others determined to convict. The jury's note Thursday said "We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion." The jury also said there was nothing the court could do to help and that they were split on all three charges. Prosecution had requested Hwang to tell the jury to deliberate longer, but she said there was a "risk of coercion" given how definitive the jury seemed. Defense attorney Steve Haney said the vote count was a "pretty resounding indication" that his client is innocent. But U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said they "fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts." "The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire," Essayli posted. READ MORE: Homes were burning and roads jammed before evacuation order for Palisades Fire, AP finds Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. He was charged with arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire and timber set aflame. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire ultimately killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes as it incinerated hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and the city of Malibu. Rebuilding has moved slowly in the Pacific Palisades — only 17 homes have been certified for occupancy. His trial began June 8 and featured eight days of lengthy testimony from investigators, experts and witnesses from surrounding areas. Jurors deliberated for 13 hours over the c