Man Set Fires To Kill Spiders, Tried To Ignite Clothes At Bergen County Hotel: Officials

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A man accused of setting fires at his Pennsylvania townhome to kill spiders has been charged for trying to ignite clothing in a Bergen County hotel room two days later, officials say.

Sean P. McDermott, 36, who'd recently lived in Tobyhanna, Pa. and East Moriches, N.Y., was charged with attempted aggravated arson, attempted arson, and creating a risk of widespread injury or damage, said the Bergen County Prosecutor's office on Friday.

Prosecutors said that on Wednesday, just after 10:30 a.m., the East Rutherford Police Department responded to reports of "unusual activity" at the Residence Inn.

Hotel staff told police they'd found clothes in a pot on a stove in one of the guestrooms.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad arrived and began investigating.

They determined that McDermott tried to set fire to the clothes in his hotel room by placing them in a pot on an electric stove, and leaving.

Hotel staff detected the scent of something burning, entered the room, and shut off the stove before the clothes fully ignited, prosecutors said.

Detectives determined that McDermott had headed to New York City. They notified the New York City Police Department.

Police in New York City found McDermott that evening and arrested him. He remains in the custody of New York State awaiting extradition to Bergen County, prosecutors said on Friday.

According to reports, McDermott was caught in Manhattan after he became involved in a hit-and-run in a U-Haul, which he then abandoned.

ABC reported that McDermott crashed near East 23rd Street and Madison Avenue around 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Set Fire In PA To Kill Spiders: Officials

According to an earlier report on Patch, McDermott had set fire to his own townhome in Pocono Pines, Pa. on Monday.

Although a neighbor tried to put the fire out, he kept relighting it, officials said. It spread to several other townhomes and caused severe damage, taking firefighters eight hours to extinguish, officials said.

McDermott fled in the U-Haul, apparently stopping at the hotel in North Jersey before his capture in Manhattan.

READ MORE: Man Set Destructive Eastern PA Fire To 'Kill The Spiders': Police