Palisades Fire suspect displayed 'incel energy,' made woman uncomfortable during Uber ride: passenger

A antheral accused of sparking the New Year's Day occurrence that helped substance the deadly Palisades inferno allegedly displayed "incel energy," according to a rider who rode successful his Uber.

Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested successful October 2025 and charged with demolition of spot by means of occurrence and pleaded not blameworthy aft being charged successful transportation with the Palisades Fire successful January 2025. He's presently facing proceedings successful California. Los Angeles nonmigratory Brennan White testified Friday that erstwhile helium rode successful Rinderknecht's Uber with his fiancee connected New Year's Day successful 2025, that the fishy gave disconnected "incel energy."

White said that Rinderknecht was driving erratically and wouldn't halt talking astir however humanity was crumbling, talking astir however determination aren't immoderate bully women successful the region.

The witnesser told the Los Angeles Police Department that Rinderknecht gave disconnected "incel energy," saying it's a slang word for idiosyncratic who's a loner oregon much isolated.

PALISADES FIRE SUSPECT HELD WITHOUT BOND

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged with igniting the blaze that became the Palisades Fire successful Los Angeles. (USAttyEssayli/X)

White, who was drinking that night, said helium made tiny speech with Rinderknecht for the archetypal 3 to 5 minutes of the ride, past the operator started ranting. He said that Rinderknecht was convulsive with his words but didn't inquire to beryllium fto retired of the Uber due to the fact that helium felt it was amended not to accidental anything.

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Former national authoritative Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital this whitethorn beryllium 1 of the astir "memorable" moments of Rinderknecht's proceedings and added that prosecutors had a circumstantial crushed for calling White to testify.

"An incel is idiosyncratic that is incapable to person oregon support a narration and is celibate involuntarily. So idiosyncratic that is simply a loner, idiosyncratic who is strange, idiosyncratic similar that is much apt to beryllium an arsonist, is much apt to beryllium a wide shooter. So by coating him successful this way, I deliberation it does assistance the prosecution's case," Rahmani said. "The question is, is this unfair quality assassination? Because Rinderknecht isn't charged with being a unusual guy, he's charged with an arsonist. And perchance this gives the defence different statement connected entreaty if their lawsuit is convicted."

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Fire unit respond to homes destroyed portion a chopper drops h2o arsenic the Palisades Fire grows successful Pacific Palisades, Calif., connected Jan. 7, 2025. (David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images)

In a proceedings memorandum filed successful April, prosecutors said Rinderknecht was seemingly obsessed with Luigi Mangione, who is accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

"In the months starring up to the fire, helium had go progressively aggravated with his beingness and nine astatine large," prosecutors wrote. "For example, successful the weeks and hours starring up to the fire, suspect fixated connected Luigi Mangione, who allegedly murdered the UnitedHealthcare CEO successful New York City connected December 4, 2024."

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Rinderknecht searched the presumption "free LuigiMangione," "lets instrumentality down each the billionaires" and "reddit lets termination each the billionaires" connected Dec. 12 and 13, 2024, national prosecutors said.

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"Many of defendant’s Uber passengers connected December 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025, described suspect arsenic angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting astir being 'pissed disconnected astatine the world' and Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism," prosecutors added successful the tribunal filing.

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When investigators asked Rinderknecht connected Jan. 24, 2025, wherefore idiosyncratic mightiness perpetrate arson successful the Pacific Palisades, helium allegedly responded it would beryllium retired of resentment and invoked Mangione.

"When investigators asked suspect wherefore idiosyncratic mightiness perpetrate arson successful the Pacific Palisades, helium responded that it would beryllium retired of resentment of the affluent enjoying their wealth arsenic 'we’re fundamentally being enslaved by them' and compared specified an enactment of 'desperation' to the execution for which Mangione was charged," prosecutors wrote.

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Luigi Mangione appears astatine an grounds suppression proceeding astatine the Manhattan Supreme Court successful New York City connected May 18, 2026. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters)

Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told Fox News Digital successful a statement: "As we person stated earlier successful aggregate nationalist tribunal filings, Mr. Mangione does not support convulsive actions and does not condone past oregon aboriginal governmental violence. These repeated attempts to link him to unrelated acts oregon to insinuate that helium condones oregon supports these acts are irresponsible, unsafe and prejudicial."

Lena Weissbrot, who considers herself a protagonist of Mangione, addressed the transportation portion speaking to Fox News Digital connected Tuesday extracurricular of a scheduled tribunal proceeding for the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer.

WATCH: Mangione protagonist says helium shouldn't carnivore blasted for Palisades Fire suspect

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"I don't deliberation we tin blasted these things connected Luigi, I deliberation it's that we person truthful overmuch wealthiness inequality successful America, that yet it's going to boil over, and I deliberation that Luigi was conscionable a somesthesia cheque for like...It benignant of allowed radical a vas for each of the rage that's been boiling nether the aboveground here," she said.

Weissbrot did adhd she could "never support" the idiosyncratic who started the Palisades Fire, stating she's from Los Angeles.

Rinderknecht is charged with demolition of spot by means of fire, arson affecting spot utilized successful interstate commerce and timber acceptable afire. Fox News Digital reached retired to his lawyers for comment.

Fox News' Amanda Gillilan contributed to this report.