A passenger who rode with the man now charged in connection with the deadly Palisades Fire says the driver came across as aggressive and unstable — even expressing anger toward former President Trump, according to local reports.
Ride Along Before the Fire
The passenger, identified as 29-year-old bartender Brennan White, says he and his fiancée were picked up by Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht on New Year’s Eve. White described Rinderknecht’s demeanor as “a really angry guy” and used the term “nut job” to refer to him, recounting that the driver repeatedly complained about not meeting women and launched into a tirade about how “horrible” Trump was.
White added that much of Rinderknecht’s monologue sounded more like talking to himself than to his passengers.
Connection to the Palisades Fire
Authorities allege that Rinderknecht ignited a small fire after dropping off passengers on New Year’s Day, a blaze that later re-ignited amid windy conditions on January 7 and contributed to what became the Palisades Fire.
White says he didn’t initially connect his ride with the later incident — only realizing the link after seeing the driver’s image following the arrest.
When investigators later contacted White in February, he provided the ride receipt (including the driver’s name “Jon”) and the pick-up time and location.
Uber & Authorities Respond
Uber says it immediately revoked Rinderknecht’s access to its platform after learning of his alleged involvement.
The company is reportedly cooperating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in the ongoing investigation.