A Michigan man has been arrested after police mentioned 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 mentioned 21-year-old Harrison Jones, of Rockford, Mich., was arrested for setting hearth to a house with six individuals inside.
The individuals inside have been hospitalized, whereas the household’s two canines, Trey and Jett, have been unable to flee the house and died.
Officers mentioned the individuals inside the house have been capable of escape due to the mother, who heard suspicious noises, earlier than discovering the hearth and evacuating her household, including that some relations even needed to leap out of second-story home windows to flee the flames.
“It’s a miracle they all survived,” Bensalem Public Security Director William McVey mentioned throughout a Monday morning press convention. “And we credit the mother of that house for taking the actions she did to protect her family and ensure that they all lived.”
Bensalem Hearth Rescue and Bensalem Police Detectives started investigating the reason for the hearth, and decided that the hearth seemed to be “intentionally set and incendiary in nature.”
Officers mentioned 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 direction of the again of the house, the place officers say he stayed for over ten minutes, earlier than he’s seen working away from the home and dashing off.
About 30 seconds later, video exhibits an explosion erupting as the home goes up in flames.
Two days after the hearth, investigators have been capable of hint the car again to Jones, acquire an arrest warrant, and take him into custody.
Investigators added that Jones additionally had obvious burns on his arm.
Officers confirmed that Jones is the ex-boyfriend of a girl 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 continues to be being investigated.
Courtroom paperwork obtained by FOX 29 Philadelphia say Jones was speculated 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 a substitute, investigators say he drove to Bensalem on his personal with “murderous intentions.”
“He drove over 730 miles, 11 hours, to do what he did and then drove directly back home,” McVey mentioned through the press convention.
Officers mentioned Jones is charged with six counts of tried murder, arson and associated offenses. He’s at present awaiting extradition again to Pennsylvania.
In line with a GoFundMe web page, the household, recognized 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 publish reads.
“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 member of the family who created the GoFundMe web page added that the Zalenski household has “been through so much within the past three years, with Stacy fighting a long, hard battle with cancer and now losing their home.”
“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 Legal professional Jennifer Schorn instructed FOX 29.
“This family suffered such inconceivable loss. This defendant’s actions are incomprehensible, and he will 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 instructed FOX 29 they plan to create a plaque to dedicate one in all their kennels to Trey and Jett for his or her heroism.
