A Michigan man has been taken into custody after allegedly driving more than 700 miles to Pennsylvania to commit arson at the home of a man who had been communicating with his ex-girlfriend online.
Harrison Jones, 21, of Rockford, Michigan, is accused of deliberately setting fire to a Bensalem, Pennsylvania, residence while six people were inside. According to authorities, all six residents managed to escape… some by leaping from second-story windows… but two family dogs, Trey and Jett, tragically perished in the blaze.
Officials credit the family’s mother for her quick thinking, which likely saved their lives. She awoke to suspicious noises, discovered the fire, and swiftly evacuated her loved ones.
“It’s a miracle they survived,” Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey said during a press conference. “We owe it to the mother’s actions that this didn’t end in an even greater tragedy.”
Investigators from Bensalem Fire Rescue and the Bensalem Police Department determined that the fire was deliberately set. A crucial break in the case came from a neighbor’s security footage, which captured a black sedan pulling up to the house around 5 a.m.
The video reportedly shows a suspect exiting the vehicle, heading toward the back of the home, and lingering for over ten minutes. Moments later, he is seen sprinting away before the house erupts into flames in a massive explosion.
Just two days after the arson, investigators traced the vehicle back to Jones, secured an arrest warrant, and took him into custody. Authorities noted that Jones had visible burn injuries on his arm at the time of his arrest.
Authorities confirmed that Jones’ ex-girlfriend, a Michigan native, had been involved in an online relationship with a male resident of the targeted home since 2023. While the exact motive remains under investigation, police suspect that jealousy and rage may have fueled the attack.
Jones now faces serious charges for arson and attempted homicide as the community reels from the shocking act of revenge.
