The man accused of starting the New Year’s Day fire in 2025 that helped fuel the deadly Palisades inferno allegedly demonstrated behavior that matches someone who sought “societal revenge,” according to an expert who testified in court.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested in October 2025 and charged with destruction of property by means of fire and pleaded not guilty after being charged in the Palisades Fire in January 2025. He’s facing trial in California. Behavioral analyst Kevin Kelm testified he believes Rinderknecht’s behavior is similar to someone who is driven by “societal revenge.”
Kelm said, in cases of societal revenge, the individual focuses on personal problems such as finance, relationships, work, lifestyle or anything they’re not capable of dealing with on a daily basis. He previously worked as a supervisory special agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.
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Kelm said the act of setting a fire gives someone like this some kind of emotional relief from the problems they face.
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Kelm also said the defendant’s use of ChatGPT was to make a “dystopian image” of the world, where he designed an image representing a barrier between rich people and other individuals who don’t have as much money.
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He said, however, ChatGPT wasn’t responding how Rinderknecht wanted, which frustrated him and shows he’s not able to deal with stress.
Kelm’s assessment of a possible “societal revenge” motive stemmed from witness statements, video, pictures, academic literature and more.
Rinderknecht is charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. Fox News Digital reached out to his lawyers for comment.
Fox News’ Amanda Gillilan contributed to this report.
