A Michigan man drove all the way for over 700 miles to set a Pennsylvania man’s home on fire after finding out that he communicated with his ex-girlfriend online.
The 21-year-old man Harrison Jones was arrested for setting fire to a home with six people inside, according to the police. The occupants were taken to hospital, whilst their two dogs, Trey and Jett, perished in the fire, Fox News reported.
The occupants escaped due to the mother’s alertness to unusual sounds. She discovered the fire and evacuated her family, with some members having to leap from second-floor windows to safety.
“It’s a miracle they all survived,” Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey said during a Monday morning press conference. “And we credit the mother of that house for taking the actions she did to protect her family and ensure that they all lived.”
The investigation by Bensalem authorities revealed the fire was deliberately started. The primary evidence was surveillance footage showing a black sedan at the scene. The suspect, Harrison Jones, was identified and arrested two days later.
Jones was found to be the former partner of a Michigan woman who had been communicating online with a male resident of the Bensalem house since 2023. Court records indicate Jones was meant to drive his former girlfriend to meet this man at a local hotel.
“He drove over 730 miles, 11 hours, to do what he did and then drove directly back home,” McVey stated at the press conference.
The affected family, the Zalenskis, including Andrew, Stacy, their children Alex and Ava, and Stacy’s parents, lost all possessions. A GoFundMe page reveals Stacy’s previous battle with cancer, adding to their recent hardships.
“This is a family’s worst nightmare to be asleep in their home, not knowing that a stranger broke into their home, and attempted to take their lives by setting their home on fire,” Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn told FOX 29.
Jones faces six counts of attempted homicide and arson-related charges, awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society plans to honour Trey and Jett with a dedicated kennel plaque.
