Psychiatric incident sends police and firefighters to Springfield psychiatric hospital

SPRINGFIELD – Police arrested a man Thursday after he allegedly brandished a knife and started a fire in a trash can in the bathroom at the Behavioral Health Network on Liberty Street, damaging a residential portion of the building.

The incident occurred after police received a mental health call about 3:55 p.m., Springfield Police Department spokesman Ryan Walsh said Friday.

When officers arrived at 417 Liberty St., they found firefighters extinguishing the dumpster fire and personnel outside the building, he said.

Jabor Rentas, 52, reportedly forced his way into the building, where staff saw him brandishing a knife as he entered the building. Rentas also started the fire in an upstairs bathroom, damaging the bathroom door.

Rentas had already exited the building and fled the scene before police arrived.

Around 5:30 p.m., police found Rentas at Springfield Plaza at 1329 Liberty St., where he was arrested and taken into custody. The officers found a large kitchen knife on him that matched the description given by the psychiatric hospital staff.

Rentas now faces multiple charges, including arson, assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property and burglary for a daytime felony. He also has two outstanding warrants for his arrest, Walsh said.

Steve Winn, president and CEO of the Behavioral Health Network, said Friday that “at no time was anyone in danger.”

He added that the building’s sprinkler system went off when the fire broke out in the second-floor bathroom, prompting staff to call local authorities.

The building was quickly evacuated during the fire, Winn said. “The staff did an incredible job following all the correct procedures,” he said.

He also noted that the sprinkler systems caused water damage to the first floor of the building, resulting in some residents having to be relocated and temporarily housed elsewhere on the property with advance notice.

Some of the damage affected a licensed residential space on the property, Winn said. The clinic brought portable beds and lamps for its clients to use until the cleanup was completed, he said.

He also confirmed that restoration teams were already working hard on Friday.