IRVINE, Calif. (CNN/KTLA) -- A college professor in Southern California has been arraigned after being charged for plotting murders and setting fires at his son's high school. It may have been a case of revenge after his 14-year-old committed suicide.

The first tragedy happened in the woods behind University High School in Irvine where earlier this year a 14-year-old student committed suicide shortly after being disciplined by school administrators. Irvine Unified School District superintendent Terry Walker says, "The student was engaged in stealing something from the local student store, but it was a minor event, it didn't lead to a suspension even or an expulsion."

The second tragedy is how the suicide appears to have affected his father, respected UC of Rrvine associate professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rainer Reinscheid, who now sits in the orange county jail. Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Jim Belluzzi says, "I couldn't be more shocked. He's an excellent scientist, very hard working, very friendly."

But prosecutors say after his son's suicide, something changed. Reinscheid, they say, went on an arson spree. Ocean County Deputy D.A. Andrew Katz says, "All the fires happened at something connected to his son whether it was his high school where he attended, the home of the administrator who was responsible for disciplining the child, or the park itself which actually borders the high school."

Following the arrest in the arsons, Irvine police found something even more disturbing. An email they say the professor wrote detailing a planned massacre, at University High School. Katz says, "In those emails, he's accused of laying out detailed plans for purchasing guns, committing acts of murder against school students and administrators, burning down the school building, burning it to the ground, and killing himself. It's pretty clear from the tenor, the content of emails that this is no joke."