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RICE TWP. — Township police charged a 20-year-old man with intentionally setting a fire inside a bedroom of his parents’ house last week.

Darren William Eckert, of Stairville Road, is accused of igniting a book on fire and fleeing out a second floor window on Feb. 8, according to court records.

Eckert’s parents told police their son suffers from mental illness and had not taken his medication. His father forced open the bedroom door that was barricaded and extinguished the fire by placing the burning book in a bathroom sink, court records say.

Eckert was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Joseph Spagnuolo in Plains Township on two counts each of arson and criminal mischief, and one count each of reckless burning and terroristic threats. Spagnuolo denied bail for Eckert deeming him a danger to society and jailed him at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

According to the criminal complaint:

Police responded to the residence at about 3:40 p.m. on Feb. 8 when Eckert’s mother called requesting a crisis evaluation for her son. Prior to officers arriving, Eckert jumped out a second floor window with a backpack and a sleeping bag.

Eckert was located near Church Road where he agreed to be taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Eckert’s mother told police, the complaint says, her son suffers from a mental illness, had not taken his medication, and had not slept for 24 hours, becoming angry and agitated.

She claimed Eckert sent her a text and a video message saying he was smashing items in his bedroom and threatened to ignite a couch on fire if she did not give him money.

She arrived home and smelled smoke coming from his bedroom.

Her husband forced open the door, which was barricaded with furniture and duct tape, and spotted a burning book in the middle of the bedroom. He picked up the book and extinguished the fire in a bathroom sink.

Police said they recovered 11 pages of vulgar notes Eckert wrote, including one stating, “You guys deserve a (expletive) house; I hope it burns down while the girls are out of the house,” the complaint says.

Rice Township man, 20, charged with arson