MELBOURNE, Florida — The alleged firebug accused of starting the Palisades blaze threatened to burn down his sister’s house and shoot his brother-in-law while their kids were inside, authorities said.
The threats concerned Rinderknecht’s family so much that they moved out of the house to get away from him, according to feds.
The disturbing revelations came during a Thursday morning court hearing for Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, accused of igniting the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history.
Cops were twice dispatched to Rinderknecht’s home in central Florida last month, once after he allegedly threatened to torch his sister’s house, and once when he threatened to shoot on his own family, an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) told the court, in testimony reported by WESH 2.
Rinderknecht moved from Los Angeles back to his home state of Florida after allegedly starting the blaze that would grow into the Palisades Fire.
He lived with his sister and brother-in-law, where he continued a pattern of unhinged behavior, the ATF agent said.
Neighbors confirmed to The Post that they saw Rinderknecht at the 3-bed, 2-path $500,000 home, which is located in a gated community outside Orlando.
Two kids were moved out of the house after Rinderknecht came, due to concerns over the alleged firebug’s rapidly declining mental health, according to the testimony.
Rinderknecht allegedly threatened to shoot his brother-in-law, prompting his father to call the cops, who allegedly found a gun hidden inside a stuffed animal.
Rinderknecht had claimed he made the threat out of self-defense and had the gun locked in a safe, not a plushie, WESH 2 reported.
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