A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting the Palisades fire that ravaged parts of Los Angeles last year.
The jury was split 10-2 in favor of a not guilty verdict, but two holdouts refused to change their position, leading to a deadlock.
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Deliberations began Wednesday after a two-week trial. The jury initially said they had reached unanimous verdicts on three arson charges, but later backtracked.
On Thursday, they told the judge they were divided and at an impasse. After reconvening Friday with no progress, the judge declared a mistrial.
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Rinderknecht was arrested in October 2025 and indicted by the Department of Justice for allegedly starting a brush fire near Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day 2025.
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Prosecutors claim the fire was initially extinguished by firefighters but reignited days later, destroying entire neighborhoods.
He faced three counts: destruction of property by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce, and setting timber afire.
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Prosecutors have stated they intend to retry Rinderknecht.
