Man Denied Bail After Allegedly Trashing Wawa, Setting Fire To Home

A man is being held without bail following an incident that began at a convenience store and ended with a fire set inside a home occupied by multiple people, according to police.

Ryan Jackel, 33, of Trenton, was preliminarily arraigned last Saturday morning before on-call District Judge Kevin Wagner on charges of arson of an inhabited building, reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of children, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.

Falls Township police responded to a Wawa on Old Bristol Pike around 11:45 p.m. last Friday. A store employee reported that a man was “destroying the store and throwing items,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.

After pulling up at the Wawa, an officer discovered merchandise scattered across the floor, police said.

A woman at the scene told an officer her husband, who was identified as Jackel, had entered the Wawa yelling before picking up a merchandise rack and slamming it to the ground. She stated that Jackel then threw her personal belongings against the building before leaving for their home, police said.

Police said they located Jackel a short time later asleep inside a vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence on Hewson Drive.

Officers noted cuts on Jackel’s hands and feet, authorities said.

According to police, Jackel told an officer he was upset and experiencing thoughts of self-harm.

Outside the residence, an officer found toys, pieces of flooring, and blood on the front door, police said.

Inside the home, an officer discovered more blood, toys, and broken flooring. The kitchen table had been split in half and a fire extinguisher was resting on top of it, police said.

In the hallway of the home, officers located several burned items, police said.

Jackel’s girlfriend told an officer that he damaged the property inside the home and set a pile of belongings on fire while multiple people, including children, were inside the dwelling, police said.

Jackel was remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. The district judge denied bail due to the circumstances of the case.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.