19 hours ago
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Justice department
A man has been arrested as a suspect in setting the Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles that killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Justice department officials announced at a news conference that 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht had been detained.
They said evidence collected from his 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.
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 told the press conference in Los Angeles.
"The arrest, we hope, will offer a measure of justice to all those impacted," Mr Essayli said.
The suspect knew the area because he was a former resident of Pacific Palisades, officials said.
He lit the fire with an open flame after he completed a ride as an Uber driver on New Year's Eve.
Officials said that when they spoke with the suspect, he lied to investigators.
Mr Rinderknecht will appear in court in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.
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