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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 folks inside. The folks 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 folks inside the house had been capable of escape due to the mother, who heard suspicious noises, earlier than discovering the hearth and evacuating her household, including that some members of the family even needed to bounce out of second-story home windows to flee the flames.
“It’s a miracle all of them survived,” Bensalem Public Security Director William McVey stated throughout a Monday morning press convention. “And we credit score the mom of that home for taking the actions she did to guard her household and be certain that all of them 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 folks inside the home hospitalized and two canines lifeless, investigators stated. (Bensalem Township Police Division)
Bensalem Hearth Rescue and Bensalem Police Detectives started investigating the reason for the hearth, and decided that the hearth gave the impression to be “deliberately 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 car pulling as much as the house round 5 a.m. that morning. A suspect is seen exiting the car, 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 operating away from the home and dashing off.
About 30 seconds later, video reveals an explosion erupting as the home goes up in flames.
Two days after the hearth, investigators had been capable of hint the car 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. Nevertheless, a motive for the hearth remains to be being investigated.
Courtroom paperwork obtained by FOX 29 Philadelphia say Jones was presupposed to drive his ex-girlfriend to fulfill the person she was speaking with in Bensalem, to an area resort 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 after which drove instantly again house,” McVey stated in the course of 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 at present awaiting extradition again to Pennsylvania.
In response to a GoFundMe web page, the household, recognized as “Andrew and Stacy Zalenski, together with their two youngsters, Alex and Ava, and Stacy’s mother and father, Joe and Karen Wendowski, misplaced all the things.”
“Our members of the family are at present going by way of a horrendous time of their lives. When you have animals, you recognize they’re part of your loved ones, and so they meant all the things to this household,” the put up reads.
“Stacy tried to do all the things she might to avoid wasting them, risking her life going again into the burning house however wanted to leap out of the second story window as a result of she felt herself shedding consciousness.”
The member of the family who created the GoFundMe web page added that the Zalenski household has “been by way of a lot throughout the previous three years, with Stacy combating a protracted, onerous battle with most cancers and now shedding their house.”
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“They’re a gracious, loving, caring, beneficiant household, and no person deserves to undergo all the things that they’ve been by way of. It has been onerous sufficient coping with most cancers and Stacy virtually shedding her life a number of occasions, to now shedding their beloved canines, treasured reminiscences, and all the things they personal and have labored so onerous for over time.”
“This can be a household’s worst nightmare to be asleep of their house, not understanding {that a} stranger broke into their house, and tried to take their lives by setting their house on hearth,” Bucks County District Lawyer Jennifer Schorn informed FOX 29.
“This household suffered such inconceivable loss. This defendant’s actions are incomprehensible, and he might 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 every of 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 will be despatched to [email protected]
Michigan man drives over 700 miles to set hearth to house of man speaking to ex
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