A Michigan man was arrested after allegedly driving more than 700 miles to Pennsylvania and setting fire to the home of a man who was talking to his ex-girlfriend last week.
According to the Bensalem Township Police Department, crews were called to a home on a report of a fire at a two-story home. Six people were inside the home and survived the fire, but two dogs died. Bensalem is northeast of Philadelphia and near the New Jersey border.
During the investigation, police and fire crews found the fire appeared to be intentionally set and nearby surveillance video found a vehicle that pulled up to the scene.
Eventually, police tracked the vehicle to a Michigan man. Through data, they were able to track the vehicle coming toward Bensalem before the fire and then back to Michigan after the fire.
Police interviewed residents of the home that caught fire and found that a 21-year-old man living in the home had an online relationship with a woman who lived in Michigan. She was reportedly set to visit Bensalem to meet in person the first time the same week.
Police say the ex-boyfriend was later identified as Harrison Jones, of Rockford, who lives at the same address as the man who owns the suspected vehicle.
Detectives in Pennsylvania contacted the Kent County Sheriff's Office, who searched the house and seized the vehicle, lock-picking devices, a cell phone and a computer. Police say Jones also had what appeared to be burns on his arms.
He was eventually arrested in Kent County by sheriff's and is awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania on charges of Attempted Criminal Homicide, Arson, Risking Catastrophe, and related offenses.
"We would especially like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Bensalem Township Police Officers, Fire Investigators, and Bensalem Detectives who took a grainy image of a vehicle and turned it into the arrest of a suspect who traveled over 700 miles and 11+ hours each way to commit crimes that nearly cost six people their lives," police said in the post.
