The Brief

COCOA BEACH, Fla. - A man accused of starting one of California’s deadliest wildfires was arrested this week in Brevard County after months on the run, authorities said.

Federal agents and West Melbourne police took 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht into custody Wednesday in a quiet neighborhood where he had been staying.

What we know:

Federal authorities arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht in West Melbourne, Florida, in connection with the Palisades Fire — one of California’s deadliest wildfires this year.

Investigators say he previously lived and worked in California and was captured on surveillance footage near the fire’s ignition point minutes before it began. Rinderknecht allegedly called 911 to report the fire before leaving the scene.

The blaze killed 12 peo

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