Accused Palisades Firebug Threatened Family Before Arrest – RedState
We’re learning more about Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting California’s Palisades fires — none of this is good. He now also faces allegations that he threatened members of his family, including his sister and brother-in-law.
The alleged bug accused of starting the Palisades fire threatened to burn down his sister’s house and shoot his brother-in-law with a gun he had hidden in a stuffed animal, authorities say.
Jonathan Rinderknecht’s alleged threats worried his family so much that they left the house to get away from him and reported him to police, federal authorities revealed Thursday.
The disturbing revelations came Thursday morning at a hearing in Orlando federal court for the 29-year-old man — accused of starting the costliest wildfire in U.S. history — where an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) testified about alarming behavior from last month.
Rinderknecht seems to have known about these threats, but here’s what’s interesting:
Rinderknecht allegedly threatened to shoot his brother-in-law, prompting his father to call the police. Investigators reportedly found a weapon hidden in a stuffed animal during a search of the home.
The alleged firebug claimed he made the threat in self-defense and that he locked the gun in a safe, not a stuffed animal. Cops made no arrests after any of these visits last month.
It’s unclear why there haven’t been any arrests here. It is possible that his brother-in-law refused to file a complaint. But that wasn’t the only time the accused Firebug exhibited what can only be described as bizarre behavior. Rinderknecht had returned to Florida after allegedly starting the Palisades fire. It is now clear that he had other problems as well.
The Florida man accused of starting the flames that completely destroyed parts of Los Angeles during the Palisades fire has posted on social media about how global warming is causing wildfires.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, regularly shared posts on Facebook about eco-apocalypses, mocking President Trump and his supporters and urging people to go vegan.
One article he shared — “Climate Change Will Force New American Migration,” from ProPublica — even included a vignette showing wildfires raging in a hillside neighborhood in California.
But wait! There’s more!
And in August 2020, Rinderknecht shared a message from Joe Biden claiming that Trump inherited a healthy economy from President Obama — but that Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic “destroyed it.”
Then there was one of the few photos of him on the page – where he appeared wild-eyed and open-mouthed, his face painted like a skull and covered in blood.
Other online activity included the creation of disturbing AI-generated images showing cities on fire with masses of people fleeing the destruction, according to prosecutors.
To put it bluntly, Rinderknecht gives every appearance of being what one might call “a weirdo.”
Learn more: BREAKING: Palisades fire determined to be arson; Arrest made
Sorry, Newsom: The Palisades fire shutdown is not a shutdown; This is only the beginning of a terrible toll
The legal proceedings in this case should be extremely interesting. The Palisades Fire was a major disaster, and Rinderknecht now faces charges that could result in more than 20 years in prison — possibly more if additional charges are filed.
This remains a developing story. Stay tuned.
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