A federal judge in Los Angeles declared a mistrial on Friday after jurors remained deadlocked in the case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of igniting the fire that authorities say became the catastrophic Palisades Fire.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to three federal arson-related charges tied to the New Year’s Eve Lachman Fire in the Pacific Palisades area.
PALISADES FIRE SUSPECT APPEARS AT EVIDENTIARY HEARING AHEAD OF TRIAL
Prosecutors allege the blaze smoldered underground for days before exploding into the wildfire that killed 12 people, destroyed thousands of structures across Los Angeles County, and burned more than 23,000 acres.
This is a developing story and will be updated.