A person from Michigan was arrested after police stated he had traveled over 700 miles to set fireplace to Pennsylvania’s residence to a person who communicated along with his ex -girlfriend on-line.
The Benlym Police Division stated 21-year-old Harrison Jones of Rocheford, Michigan, was arrested for setting a house with six individuals inside.
The individuals inside had been hospitalized, whereas the 2 canine of the household, Trey and Jet, failed to flee from residence and died.
Officers stated that individuals at residence had been in a position to escape due to the mom who heard suspicious noises earlier than discovering the hearth and evacuing her household, including that some members of the family even need to come out of the home windows of second historical past to make escape from the flames.
“It is a miracle that everybody has survived,” stated Benlym Public Security Director William Makwei throughout a press convention on Monday morning. “And we credit score the mom of this home for taking the actions she made to guard her household and to make sure that all of them dwell.”
Rescuing a hearth in Bensalem and Benlym’s police detectives started to analyze the reason for the hearth and decided that the hearth gave the impression to be “intentionally tuned and lit by nature.”
Officers stated the one lead on this case was a grainy picture of a black sedan from a neighbor’s monitoring system.
The video shot a car that pulls residence round 5am this morning. You may see a suspect popping out of the car, strolling to the again of the house, the place staff say it has remained for greater than ten minutes earlier than being seen working away from the home and accelerating.
About 30 seconds later, the video exhibits an explosion erupting when the home goes into flames.
Two days after the hearth, investigators had been in a position to monitor the car to Jones, obtain arrest warrant and be arrested.
Investigators added that Jones additionally had apparent burns on his hand.
Officers have confirmed that Jones is the ex -boyfriend of a girl from Michigan who has been in an internet relationship with a males’s resident at Benlym’s Home since 2023. Nevertheless, a hearth motive continues to be being investigated.
The court docket paperwork obtained from Fox 29 Philadelphia Say that Jones needed to take his ex -girlfriend to satisfy the person he communicated with in Bensalem, at an area resort within the close to future. As an alternative, investigators declare that he himself had taken Bnallem with “murderous intentions”.
“He traveled over 730 miles, 11 o’clock to do what he did after which went residence instantly,” McVy stated throughout a press convention.
Authorities stated Jones was charged with six expenses of tried homicide, arson and associated crimes. He’s at present ready for extradition again to Pennsylvania.
Based on a Gofundme web page, the household recognized as “Andrew and Stacey Zalenski, together with their two kids, Alex and Ava, and the dad and mom of Stacey, Joe and Karen Wendovsky, misplaced all the pieces.”
“The members of our household are at present going by a horrible time of their lives. In case you have animals, you realize that they’re a part of your loved ones and so they had been referring to all about this household, “the publication stated.
“Stacey tried to do all the pieces doable to avoid wasting them, risking her life again to the burning residence, however needed to come out of the second window of historical past as a result of he felt to lose consciousness.”
The member of the family who created the Gofundme web page added that the Zalenski household “has skilled a lot over the past three years, with Stacey leads an extended, heavy battle with most cancers and now shedding residence.”
“They’re a good, loving, caring, beneficiant household, and nobody deserves to undergo all the pieces they’ve skilled. It was tough sufficient to take care of most cancers and Stacey, nearly shedding their lives many instances, till now to lose their beloved canine, treasured reminiscences and all the pieces they owned and labored so laborious over time. “
“That is the most important nightmare of the household to sleep of their residence with out understanding {that a} stranger has entered their residence and tried to take his life by setting fireplace to his residence,” stated Bucks District Lawyer Jennifer Sornen County In entrance of FOX 29.
“This household suffered such an unthinkable loss. The actions of this defendant are incomprehensible and he shall be accountable. “
Along with Gofundme, a member of the family additionally launches fundraising with an animal welfare society in Philadelphia to honor their reminiscence. A PAWs spokesman instructed Fox 29 that they plan to create a plaque to dedicate one in all their kennels to Trey and Jet to their heroism.
