Ryan Hanrahan is charged with arson, accused of targeting his own parents because they told him no.
Hanrahan, 25, wasn't smiling when he was walked into jail, but once he got inside, he had a big grin for his booking photo despite the serious charge he now faces.
"It can kill people," said Lt. Dean Hensley with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office.
According to the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, Hanrahan set his parents' SUV on fire early Monday morning. It was sitting just feet from their front door in Spring, where you can still see the remnants. The apparent motive is retaliation.
"The information the parents gave our investigator was that their son was angry at them because he wanted them to purchase a vehicle for him and they did not purchase a vehicle for him," Hensley said.
Ever since, says Hensley, Hanrahan's parents have been afraid he'd come back to do more damage.
On Friday night, Hanrahan was arrested.
"Ryan Patrick Hanrahan can't do anything, you can't prosecute me," Hanrahan told Eyewitness News as he was being escorted to jail.
Hanrahan denied he did set the fire, though did have one request.
"If you bail me out, you get to come to the party," he told Eyewitness News.
Investigators believe he used inflammable liquids to light the car on fire.
His bond has been set at $30,000.
Hanrahan's parents did not answer their door when Eyewitness News stopped by on Friday.
Find Jessica on Facebook at ABC13JessicaWilley or on Twitter at @jwilleyabc13
