Prosecutors Say Uber Driver Set Palisades Fire, Then Typed This Chilling Question Into ChatGPT By Nicole Acosta

An Uber driver is accused of setting a blaze in January that eventually turned into the Palisades Fire, one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, of Melbourne, Fla., was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and charged with destruction of property by means of fire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a press release on Wednesday, Oct. 8. He was expected to make his initial court appearance Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.

Following a nine-month investigation, investigators determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” fire, meaning it was a continuation of a fire known as the Lachman Fire that began on New Year’s Day 2025, according to a federal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

“Although firefighters quickly suppressed the Lachman Fire, unbeknownst to anyone the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of dense vegetation,” the complaint states.

The Palisades Fire, which started on Jan. 7, went on to claim the lives of 12 people and burn over 23,000 acres, according to a report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Authorities said “heavy winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground,” per the complaint.

Investigators allege Rinderknecht — who once lived in the Pacific Palisades area — used an open flame, likely a lighter that set fire to combustible material such as vegetation or paper, just after midnight on Jan. 1.

Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver the night before and dropped off two separate passengers in the area. Those passengers later allegedly told investigators they remembered that Rinderknecht appeared “agitated and angry,” the complaint states.

Per the complaint, Rinderknecht allegedly called 911 several times but didn’t get through because his iPhone was out of cell range. When he finally connected with 911, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire. By that point, a nearby resident already had reported the fire to authorities.

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At one point, per the complaint, investigators claim Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT, “Are you at fault if a fire is lift [sic] because of your cigarettes?”

The AI chatbot responded, “Yes,” with an explanation. However, smoking, along with fireworks, lightning and power lines, were ruled out as possible causes by investigators, per the complaint.

Rinderknecht then allegedly fled in his car, passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction. He then turned around and followed the fire engines to the scene. The complaint states he walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and the firefighters and took videos of the scene.

Authorities also said in the complaint that Rinderknecht was listening to the French rap song “Un Zder, Un Thé” by Josman at the time — a song he had repeatedly listened to it in the days prior. They added that the music video depicts items being set on fire.

During an interview with authorities on Jan. 24, Rinderknecht lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire, authorities alleged.

“He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but geolocation data from his iPhone carrier showed that he was standing in a clearing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew,” the release states.

Other evidence of Rinderknecht’s alleged involvement included an image he generated on ChatGPT in July 2024 depicting a burning city, per the complaint. Months later, he allegedly sent a message to ChatGPT reading in part, “I literally burnt the Bible that I had. It felt amazing. I felt so liberated,” the complaint states. He allegedly sent a similar message to a family member, authorities claimed.

Prosecutors said Rinderknecht could face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.