The Florida man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire, one of California's most destructive blazes, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday.
The big picture: Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, who was originally charged with destruction of property by fire over the blaze that erupted during powerful Santa Ana winds in the Los Angeles area in January and led to the death of 12 people, faced two additional charges in the indictment.
- The former Palisades resident now also faces one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire.
- Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht, who's also known as "Jonathan Rinder," and "Jon Rinder," used ChatGPT before and after setting the fire and that he had created an image of a burning forest with crowds fleeing.
What we're watching: If convicted, Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison, per a Department of Justice statement.
Go deeper: Climate change plays key contributing role in LA fires
