Former UCI professor convicted of setting fires

A former UCI professor who wrote emails saying that he planned to kill students and administrators at the Irvine high school his son attended was convicted Tuesday of setting fires at that campus, the home of a school administrator and a local park.

Rainer Klaus Reinscheid pleaded guilty, agreeing to a court offer of one felony count of arson of another’s property, three felony counts of arson of forest land, two felony counts of arson of a structure, three felony counts of attempted arson and one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing an officer.

The former professor faces three to 18 years of prison and is being held without bail, according to Orange County district attorney’s officials.

Reinscheid, 49, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 1.

In March 2012, officials at University High disciplined Reinscheid’s 14-year-old son for a minor theft-related incident. The teenager committed suicide the next day at Mason Park Preserve in Irvine.

After the boy’s death, from July 4 to July 24, 2012, his father roamed between University High, Mason Park Preserve and a school administrator’s home, committing six arsons and three attempted arsons by lighting various objects on fire, among them newspapers, brush and vegetation, a book and a plastic porch chair, authorities said.

Police increased patrols and caught Reinscheid July 24 as he was trying to start a fire at the preserve with newspaper and lighter fluid.

When officers approached, he ignored their orders to stop, resisting arrest. He later posted $50,000 bail and was released that day.

Irvine police continued investigating and last July 27, detectives found emails on his cellphone, detailing his stated goal to burn down University High, commit sexual assaults, buy firearms and gun down school officials and students, before killing himself.

Reinscheid was arrested that evening.

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anh.do@latimes.com