Michigan Man Drives Over 700 Miles To Set Fire To Home Of Man Who Chatted With His Ex
A Michigan man drove over 700 miles to set fire to the Pennsylvania home of a man who had been communicating with his ex-girlfriend online. The incident, which unfolded in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, resulted in a devastating fire that endangered the lives of six people inside the house.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Harrison Jones from Rockford, Mich., was arrested for setting fire to the home, where six individuals were present at the time of the incident. Tragically, the family's two dogs, Trey and Jett, lost their lives in the fire as they were unable to escape the flames.
Authorities praised the quick thinking of the mother in the house, who heard suspicious noises, discovered the fire, and successfully evacuated her family. Some family members had to resort to jumping out of second-story windows to flee the rapidly spreading flames. Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey described the survival of all occupants as nothing short of a miracle, crediting the mother for her swift actions in protecting her family.
Following the incident, Bensalem Fire Rescue and Police Detectives launched an investigation into the fire's cause. Their findings indicated that the fire was intentionally set and of an incendiary nature. The only lead in the case initially was a grainy image of a black sedan captured by a neighbor's surveillance system.
The surveillance footage showed a vehicle arriving at the home around 5 a.m., with a suspect exiting the vehicle and spending over ten minutes at the back of the house before fleeing the scene. Moments later, an explosion engulfed the house in flames, as captured by the video footage.
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Two days after the fire, investigators were able to trace the vehicle back to Jones, leading to his arrest. Jones was found to have burns on his arm, further linking him to the crime scene. Authorities confirmed that Jones was the ex-boyfriend of a woman from Michigan who had been in an online relationship with one of the male residents in the Bensalem house since 2023.
Court documents revealed that Jones was supposed to drive his ex-girlfriend to meet the man she was communicating with in Bensalem at a local hotel in the near future. However, instead of following through with the plan, Jones undertook the drastic decision to drive to Bensalem alone with what investigators described as "murderous intentions."
McVey highlighted the extent of Jones's journey, stating that he drove over 730 miles, spending 11 hours on the road to carry out the arson before promptly returning home. Jones now faces charges including six counts of attempted homicide, arson, and related offenses, awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.
The devastating impact of the fire extended beyond the immediate danger, as a GoFundMe page was set up for the affected family, identified as "Andrew and Stacy Zalenski, along with their two children, Alex and Ava, and Stacy's parents, Joe and Karen Wendowski." The family lost everything in the fire, including their cherished pets.
