A man from Michigan has been arrested for driving over 700 miles to set fire to the Pennsylvania home of a man who had been in communication with his ex-girlfriend online.
The Bensalem Police Department reported that 21-year-old Harrison Jones from Rockford, Mich. was taken into custody for setting a fire at a home where six people were present. The occupants were hospitalized, and unfortunately, the family’s two dogs, Trey and Jett, perished in the fire.
Authorities mentioned that the family was able to escape thanks to the mother who heard suspicious sounds, discovered the fire, and evacuated her family. Some family members had to jump from second-story windows to evade the flames.
“It’s a miracle they all survived,” stated Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey during a 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.”
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A man from Michigan drove over 730 miles to set fire to the Pennsylvania home of a man that his ex-girlfriend had been communicating with online, resulting in six people inside the house being hospitalized and two dogs losing their lives, according to investigators. (Bensalem Township Police Department)
Bensalem Fire Rescue and Bensalem Police Detectives launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and concluded that it seemed to be intentionally set and incendiary in nature.
Authorities mentioned that the sole lead in the case was a grainy image of a black sedan from a neighbor’s surveillance system.
The video footage captured a vehicle arriving at the house around 5 a.m. on the morning of the incident. A suspect was observed exiting the vehicle and heading towards the back of the house, where officials believe he remained for over ten minutes before fleeing the scene.
About 30 seconds later, the video shows an explosion occurring as the house erupted in flames.
Two days following the incident, investigators were able to trace the vehicle back to Jones, secure an arrest warrant, and apprehend him.
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An arson suspect, identified as Harrison Jones, 21, was arrested in Michigan for a house fire in Bensalem last week.(Bensalem Township Police Department)
Investigators noted that Jones exhibited burn injuries on his arm.
Officials verified that Jones is the ex-boyfriend of a woman from Michigan who had engaged in an online relationship with a male resident of the Bensalem house since 2023. However, the motive for the fire is still under investigation.
Court documents retrieved by FOX 29 Philadelphia mentioned that Jones was initially supposed to drive his ex-girlfriend to meet the man she was communicating with in Bensalem at a nearby hotel in the near future. Instead, investigators stated that he independently drove to Bensalem with “murderous intentions.”
“He drove over 730 miles, 11 hours, to do what he did and then drove directly back home,” McVey stated during the press conference.
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Investigators say Harrison Jones, 21, of Michigan, is accused of setting fire to the Bensalem home of a man who had communicated with his ex-girlfriend online.(Bensalem Township Police Department)
Officials revealed that Jones faces six counts of attempted homicide, arson, and related offenses. He is currently awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.
According to a GoFundMe page, the family, identified 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 post mentioned.
“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 family member who initiated the GoFundMe page added that the Zalenski family 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 Attorney Jennifer Schorn told FOX 29.
“This family suffered such inconceivable loss. This defendant’s actions are incomprehensible, and he will be held accountable.”
In addition to the GoFundMe, a family member also started a fundraiser with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society to honor the memory of the dogs. A PAWS spokesperson informed FOX 29 they plan to create a plaque to dedicate one of their kennels to Trey and Jett for their heroism.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
