Federal authorities arrested a suspect they believe is responsible for sparking the devastating Palisades Fire in January in Los Angeles.

29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of Melburne, Florida has been taken into federal custody for "maliciously starting" the Palisades Fire, federal officials announced Wednesday.

All of te evidence against Rinderknecht was not made public, but investigators say they used witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and fire analysis to link Rinderknecht to the blaze. And the federal complaint details Rinderknecht's movements on New Year's Eve, when the initial fire that's believed to have led to the larger conflagration days later began.

As the New York Times reports, Rinderknecht was a former residents of Pacific Palisades, and was working as an Uber driver. He had dropped off a passenger in the area on December 31. He then drove to a trailhead called Skull Rock.

He then parked, tried to call a former friend and walked up the trail taking videos with an iPhone and listening on YouTube to a French rap video featuring a character setting things on fire. Then, federal authorities alleged, he set a fire himself with an open flame and called 911 to report it, but did not initially get through because he could not get cell service.

Investigators say that Rinderknecht then fled the scene in his car, but returned, following fire engines to the trail, and hiking back up to record video of the flames.

That initial brush fire ultimately grew to eight acres, and was called the Lachman Fire — and it was initially rumored to have been sparked by fireworks being set off in the area. Embers from the fire were reignated on January 7, according to investigators, creating what would become the Palisades Fire — which killed 12 people and destroyed over 6,800 structures.

In a statement, Bill Essayli, the acting United States attorney in Los Angeles, said, "A single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen." Essayli added, "While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy."

As the LA Times reports, among the evidence collected by invesitgators was an image that Rinderknecht allegedly used ChatGPT to generate depicting a city on fire. He also allegedly asked ChatGPT, while calling 911, "Are you at fault if a fire is lift because of your cigarettes?"

Rinderknecht had been living in the Palisades last year, but after the fire he reportedly moved to Florida. It seems as though he was known to authorities from the beginning, and he's alleged to have made false statements when questioned.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement about the arrest, saying, "More than 9 months ago, our city faced one of the most devastating periods our region had ever seen. Lives were tragically lost. Thousands of homes were destroyed. Our heroic firefighters fought the blaze valiantly with no rest. Each day that families are displaced is a day too long and as we are working tirelessly to bring Angelenos home, we are also working towards closure and towards justice – and today is a step forward in that process."