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Add The California Post on Google The man on trial for allegedly sparking the deadly Palisades Fire had searched for the address of DoorDash’s CEO because he planned to murder him, a federal agent testified in court Thursday.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, whose federal arson trial began in Los Angeles on Wednesday, had become “fixated” on CEO killer Luigi Mangione before the devastating blaze and suggested the inferno was started out of “resentment of the rich,” prosecutors charged.
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On Thursday, ATF Special Agent Michael Montevidoni revealed in bombshell testimony that an investigation last year showed Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT for the address of DoorDash co-founder and chief executive Tony Xu because “he was going to kill him.”
Montevidoni said Rinderknecht also asked ChatGPT if Xu had children and surveillance cameras at his home.
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Rinderknecht, an Uber driver who previously worked for DoorDash, was obsessed with Mangione and had routinely searched “free Luigi Mangione” and “lets take down all the billionaires” online, prosecutor said.
Montevidoni said he spoke during his investigation with several of Rinderknecht’s Uber passengers, who said Rinderknecht expressed support for Mangione the night the blaze broke out.
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One of those passengers testified Thursday that Rinderknecht talked about vigilantism and anti-capitalism, and expressed a hatred of President Trump.
“I told my friend Sam right when we got out, I was just like, ‘He’s a psychopath I just know it, he’s a serial killer or something,’” Macy Miller stated in court, adding that she “had such a bad feeling” after the ride.
In a trial memorandum, prosecutors said passengers had described the defendant”as angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world’ and Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism.
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On Thursday, prosecutors laid out a timeline of photos, videos, cellular data and ChatGPT messages arguing that Rinderknecht tried to deceive authorities through his actions the night of the fire.
Montevidoni testified that Rinderknecht called 911 several times in the early hours of January 1, shortly after the blaze began.
“There’s a fire, there’s a fire,” Rinderknecht could be heard saying in the 911 call. “There’s a fire a top of Pacific Palisades highland.”
While speaking to a dispatcher, Rinderknecht screen-recorded the phone call, as well as him asking ChatGPT, “Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes.” Montevidoni told the court that he considered actions suspicious, saying it appeared the suspect was trying to create an “alternative reason for why the fire was started and have a record to show at a later period.”
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to a string of federal arson charges for sparking the inferno that leveled 7,000 homes and businesses, caused $150 billion in damages and left 12 people dead.