Pacific Palisades fire suspect snared by ChatGPT image, say investigators

A man has been arrested on suspicion of starting the Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles that killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Justice department officials said evidence collected from 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht’s digital devices showed an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city.

The fire was sparked on 7 January near a popular hiking trail overlooking the wealthy coastal neighbourhood.

The Eaton Fire, ignited the same day in the Los Angeles area, killed another 19 people and destroyed about 9,400 structures. The cause of that fire remains unclear. Mr Rinderknecht will appear in court in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.

The suspect allegedly started the fire in the Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day. That blaze smouldered underground for days before it spread above ground.

Mr Rinderknecht was arrested in Florida on Tuesday and has been charged with destruction of property by means of fire, Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli said at a press conference on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“The arrest, we hope, will offer a measure of justice to all those impacted,” Mr Essayli said.

Officials said further charges – including murder for those who were killed – could come in the future.

The suspect was familiar with the area because he was a former resident of Pacific Palisades, officials said. Since the fires, he relocated to Florida.

He lit the fire with an open flame after he completed a ride as an Uber driver on New Year’s Eve. Days later that fire spread and became one of the most damaging in Los Angeles history.

Officials said that the suspect had lied to investigators.

Among the thousands of structures destroyed in the fires were the homes of a number of celebrities including Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton and Jeff Bridges.