Eric Wade Berkenkamp, 49, of Winnsboro, pleaded guilty on Thursday to first-degree felony arson and was sentenced to 40 years in prison, along with a $2,000 fine. The conviction stems from a July 2022 house fire in Hawkins.
In addition to the arson charge, Berkenkamp also pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault against a public servant with a deadly weapon and acknowledged guilt for terroristic threat of a family or household member.
According to the Wood County Sheriff's Office, Berkenkamp damaged a Hawkins residence on July 27, 2022, by pouring gasoline throughout the house. When law enforcement arrived and attempted to detain him, Berkenkamp ran back inside. Deputies then witnessed him lying in a pool of gasoline before igniting a lighter and dropping it, causing a deputy's boot to catch fire. Berkenkamp was taken into custody shortly thereafter.
District Attorney Angela Albers stated, "The Defendant has a history of arson and violence towards law enforcement. His actions endangered everyone at the residence that day, and could have easily resulted in serious injury to, or the death of, police officers."
