Jurors in the federal arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht told the court they are deadlocked over charges tied to the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire. The panel is set to resume deliberations Friday.
Posts tagged as “Arson Trial”
Roman Lavrynovych was sentenced to seven years and Stanislav Carpiuc to two years for arson attacks on property and a car linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The men were recruited through a Russian-speaking Telegram account that promised payment, prosecutors said.
Merlin Lu, 21, of Chicago, faces felony hate crime, arson and property damage charges after police said he set fire to a cross in Grant Park. Lu told NBC Chicago before his arrest that the act was meant as a protest against Donald Trump and denied it was racially motivated.
A London jury convicted two men over arson attacks on properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The BBC reported the plot was part of a wider Russian-linked sabotage and disinformation campaign, an allegation Russia denies.
Jonathan Rinderknecht’s federal trial began with prosecutors alleging he deliberately set a New Year’s Day fire that later became the deadly Palisades Fire. His defense says he called 911 repeatedly and is being scapegoated for failures to fully extinguish the initial blaze.