Man Charged After Driving Over 700 Miles to Allegedly Burn Down Home of Man Speaking with His Ex-Girlfriend: Police

A man drove more than 700 miles and over 11 hours each way to allegedly set fire to the home of another man who had reportedly been talking to his ex-girlfriend, police have said.

On Monday, Feb. 17, Bensalem Police Department confirmed suspect Harrison Jones, of Rockford, Michigan, had been arrested and charged with six counts of attempted homicide after allegedly setting a 5200 block of Merganser Way property ablaze in the Pennsylvania township at around 5:22 a.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 10, per a news release.

Officers said that Bensalem Township Police and the Bensalem Volunteer Fire Department responded to “a report of a dwelling fire,” adding, “Upon arrival, Emergency Services located six adult residents who had evacuated from the home, some of whom had to jump out of second-story windows to escape the flames.” 

“Fire engulfed the two-story single-family dwelling, which resulted in a total loss. Two dogs perished in the fire, and the six adults were transported to nearby hospitals with injuries,” the release stated.

Amid the investigation police said “it was discovered that the fire appeared to be intentionally set and incendiary in nature.” The statement added that “nearby home surveillance” had “captured a black sedan as it passed the home on Merganser Way and stopped at the Mallard Drive intersection at 5:01 a.m.” that morning.

“A subject exits the vehicle with an object and walks towards the residence. After approximately 15 minutes, the subject appears to run back to his waiting vehicle and departs the area on Mallard Drive towards Portside Drive,” the police continued. “As the suspect vehicle fled the area, smoke could be seen billowing up from the rear yard of the home, and within 30 seconds, a large explosion was observed, and the house became engulfed in flames.”

Detectives managed to track the vehicle “entering and exiting the township,” as it “passed through an intersection with Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) installed.”

The 2021 black Volkswagen Passat was traced back to Brian Jones, who lives at the same address as the suspect Jones.

Police also interviewed Merganser Way residents, and they “discovered that a 21-year-old male resident had an online relationship with a female who lived in Michigan and was supposed to come to Bensalem to meet in person for the first time this week.” Suspect Jones was then identified as the ex-boyfriend of the female, officers added, per the release.

With assistance from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan, a search warrant for Jones’ residence was obtained, and officers seized the car, as well as lock-picking devices, a cell phone and a computer, the post continued.

“When the Kent County Sheriff’s Office made contact with him, he also had what appeared to be burns on his arm,” the police claim.

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After the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office gave approval for an arrest warrant for the suspect, he was charged with “six counts of Attempted Criminal Homicide, Arson, Risking Catastrophe, and related offenses” and is “awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania,” per the release.

Officers added that thanks to a “grainy image of a vehicle” taken by authorities, this resulted in “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.”

Bensalem Police Department had no additional updates to add when contacted by PEOPLE, saying it’s “an active investigation.”