A Michigan man has been arrested after police stated he drove over 700 miles to set hearth to the Pennsylvania house of a person who had communicated along with his ex-girlfriend on-line.
The Bensalem Police Division stated 21-year-old Harrison Jones, of Rockford, Mich., was arrested for setting hearth to a house with six individuals inside. The individuals inside had been hospitalized, whereas the household’s two canines, Trey and Jett, had been unable to flee the house and died.
Officers stated the individuals inside the house had been capable of escape because of the mother, who heard suspicious noises, earlier than discovering the fireplace and evacuating her household, including that some relations even needed to bounce out of second-story home windows to flee the flames.
“It’s a miracle they all survived,” Bensalem Public Security Director William McVey stated throughout a Monday morning press convention. “And we credit the mother of that house for taking the actions she did to protect her family and ensure that they all lived.”
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A Michigan man drove over 730 miles and set hearth to the Pennsylvania house of a person that his ex-girlfriend had communicated with on-line, leaving six individuals inside the home hospitalized and two canines useless, investigators stated. (Bensalem Township Police Division)
Bensalem Hearth Rescue and Bensalem Police Detectives started investigating the reason for the fireplace, and decided that the fireplace seemed to be “intentionally set and incendiary in nature.”
Officers stated the one lead within the case was a grainy picture of a black sedan from a neighbor’s surveillance system.
The video captured a automobile pulling as much as the house round 5 a.m. that morning. A suspect is seen exiting the automobile, strolling in the direction of the again of the house, the place officers say he stayed for over ten minutes, earlier than he’s seen working away from the home and dashing off.
About 30 seconds later, video exhibits an explosion erupting as the home goes up in flames.
Two days after the fireplace, investigators had been capable of hint the automobile again to Jones, receive an arrest warrant, and take him into custody.
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An arson suspect, recognized as Harrison Jones, 21, was arrested in Michigan for a home hearth in Bensalem final week. (Bensalem Township Police Division)
Investigators added that Jones additionally had obvious burns on his arm.
Officers confirmed that Jones is the ex-boyfriend of a lady from Michigan who had been in a web-based relationship with a male resident within the Bensalem home since 2023. Nonetheless, a motive for the fireplace remains to be being investigated.
Courtroom paperwork obtained by FOX 29 Philadelphia say Jones was alleged to drive his ex-girlfriend to satisfy the person she was speaking with in Bensalem, to a neighborhood lodge within the close to future. As an alternative, investigators say he drove to Bensalem on his personal with “murderous intentions.”
“He drove over 730 miles, 11 hours, to do what he did and then drove directly back home,” McVey stated throughout the press convention.
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Investigators say Harrison Jones, 21, of Michigan, is accused of setting hearth to the Bensalem house of a person who had communicated along with his ex-girlfriend on-line. (Bensalem Township Police Division)
Officers stated Jones is charged with six counts of tried murder, arson and associated offenses. He’s presently awaiting extradition again to Pennsylvania.
Based on a GoFundMe web page, the household, recognized as “Andrew and Stacy Zalenski, along with their two children, Alex and Ava, and Stacy’s parents, Joe and Karen Wendowski, lost everything.”
“Our family members are currently going through a horrendous time in their lives. If you have animals, you know they are a part of your family, and they meant everything to this family,” the publish reads.
“Stacy tried to do everything she could to save them, risking her life going back into the burning home but needed to jump out of the second story window because she felt herself losing consciousness.”
The member of the family who created the GoFundMe web page added that the Zalenski household has “been through so much within the past three years, with Stacy fighting a long, hard battle with cancer and now losing their home.”
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“They are a gracious, loving, caring, generous family, and nobody deserves to go through everything that they have been through. It has been hard enough dealing with cancer and Stacy almost losing her life multiple times, to now losing their beloved dogs, precious memories, and everything they own and have worked so hard for over the years.”
“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 Lawyer Jennifer Schorn informed FOX 29.
“This family suffered such inconceivable loss. This defendant’s actions are incomprehensible, and he will be held accountable.”
Along with the GoFundMe, a member of the family additionally began a fundraiser with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society to honor their reminiscence. A PAWS spokesperson informed FOX 29 they plan to create a plaque to dedicate one in all their kennels to Trey and Jett for his or her heroism.
Stepheny Worth is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise. She covers matters together with lacking individuals, homicides, nationwide crime circumstances, unlawful immigration, and extra. Story suggestions and concepts may be despatched to stepheny.worth@fox.com
