DURYEA — A 20-year old Dalton man has been charged with arson in connection with a fire that destroyed the roof of the Popple Coal Breaker Tuesday.

Zackary Sorak, of Dalton, was arraigned Wednesday on two counts of arson, and one count each of reckless burning and criminal mischief. He is lodged at Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000 bail.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Duryea police, Sorak turned himself in Wednesday to Hughestown police and admitted he set the fire to the breaker.

According to police at the scene of the fire, Duryea police detained a juvenile male who said he was supposed to meet Sorak at the breaker. When the juvenile male arrived, Sorak reportedly told him he was in “a lot of trouble” and he “was going out with a bang.”

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Sorak then allegedly advised the juvenile to run because he had just set fire to the breaker. The juvenile was caught before taking off, but Sorak ran toward the riverbank, police said.

After interviewing the juvenile, Duryea police attempted to contact Sorak, who refused to turn himself in. The officer told Sorak he had a statement about his involvement and said Sorak told him to do whatever he had to do with it and that he would never get him.

But Sorak did turn himself in and allegedly told police he took a gas can from a gas station on Montage Mountain and wanted to set something on fire, so he went to Popple Coal. After lighting the building on fire, told police, he went to the river and swam halfway down, where he was picked up and taken to Scranton, police said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31 before Magisterial District Judge Alexandra Kokura Kravitz.

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http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_sorek_mug-1.jpg.optimal.jpgSorak

By Melanie Mizenko

mmizenko@timesleader.com

Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko