A Florida man has been arrested on suspicion of starting the Pacific Palisades fire in LA that claimed the lives of 12 people in January.
On Wednesday, October 8, the man, identified as 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested on suspicion of "maliciously" starting the blaze.
Justice Department officials said a ChatGPT-generated image, depicting a burning city, was discovered on his digital devices, which played a key part in the arrest.
The suspect allegedly started the Lachman fire on New Year's Day, which initially engulfed around eight acres and did not destroy any structures.
However, investigations revealed that catastrophic Santa Ana winds might have fuelled the fire, leading it to the Palisades fire.
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 LA.
"The arrest, we hope, will offer a measure of justice to all those impacted," Essayli noted.
Officials said further charges, including murder for those who were killed, could come in the future.
According to the authorities, the suspect was a former resident of Pacific Palisades and hence was familiar with the area; however, 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.
