Palisades Fire Suspect Should Face Animal Cruelty Charges, Advocates Say

LOS ANGELES, CA — PETA on Monday called on prosecutors to file animal cruelty charges against the man accused in connection to the Palisades Fire.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, of Melbourne, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on three felony charges as part of a case accusing him of setting what would become the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire in January.

Now, PETA leaders are calling on the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office to file additional charges against Rinderknecht.

"While it’s well known that the fire killed 12 people, destroyed nearly 7,000 homes and other structures, and scorched more than 23,000 acres of land, such catastrophic fires also inflict terror and suffering on many domesticated and wild animals, causing them to experience severe injuries or prolonged, agonizing deaths," PETA's Sarah Deffinger wrote in a Monday letter to District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

The letter cites the death of Annette Rossilli, as detailed in a report by People. The 85-year-old woman declined to evacuate her home because she wanted to stay with her pets, including a dog, canary, two parrots and a turtle.

PETA's letter also described the case of Aggie, a cat who survived for two months alone in the fire's aftermath.

The cat's owner owner was unable to find her after returning to the wreckage of her home. Aggie — burned and on the verge of starvation — was later rescued by the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter, CBS Los Angeles reported.

Veterinarian Katie Nenneker told KCAL that she cared for horses with burns, smoke inhalation and eye irritation.

• Read more: 5 Things To Know About The Uber Driver Accused Of Setting The Palisades Fire

"Given that Rinderknecht is accused of maliciously starting a wildfire that led to unnecessary and unjustifiable pain, suffering, and death for animals, I respectfully ask that investigators and your office file cruelty-to-animals charges against him," PETA wrote.

According to the organization, it has previously found success with similar requests in Monterey County and in Oregon.

The man who started the 2020 Dolan Fire in the Big Sur area was convicted of 11 counts of cruelty to animals in connection to the destruction of an 80-acre condor sanctuary, the Associated Press reported.

And the man who started secondary fires on the night of a larger 2020 wildfire in Oregon was convicted of two charges of animal abuse for the deaths of two animals, including a sheep, KTVL reported.