A Michigan man is facing attempted homicide and arson charges after allegedly driving over 700 miles to set fire to a Pennsylvania home occupied by six people, including the man his ex-girlfriend had been communicating with online. The incident resulted in the hospitalization of the six occupants and the tragic death of the family's two dogs.
21-year-old Harrison Jones of Rockford, Michigan, is accused of driving to Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and setting fire to the residence around 5 a.m. A neighbor's security camera captured footage of a vehicle matching Jones' description arriving at the scene, a suspect exiting and approaching the back of the house, and then fleeing moments before an explosion engulfed the home in flames.
The Bensalem Police Department, along with Bensalem Fire Rescue, launched an investigation which quickly determined the fire was intentionally set. Authorities were able to trace the vehicle seen in the surveillance footage back to Jones, leading to his arrest in Michigan. He reportedly had burn injuries on his arm. The six occupants of the house escaped, thanks to the mother who heard suspicious noises and alerted her family. Some family members were forced to jump from second-story windows to escape the blaze.
While the online relationship between Jones' ex-girlfriend and a male resident of the Bensalem home has been confirmed, the exact motive behind the arson remains under investigation. Court documents suggest Jones had initially planned to drive his ex-girlfriend to Bensalem for a meeting with the man but instead drove alone with what authorities describe as "murderous intentions." He is currently awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania.
The affected family, identified as the Zalenskis and Wendowskis, lost everything in the fire, including their two beloved dogs, Trey and Jett. A GoFundMe page has been established to support the family, who have endured significant hardship in recent years, including the mother's battle with cancer. A separate fundraiser has also been organized by the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to honor the memory of the two dogs, with plans to dedicate a kennel plaque in their names.
