BUCKS COUNTY, Penn. — The Rockford man accused of setting fire to a Pennsylvania home was arraigned last week on 20 charges related to the incident.
The fire left two dogs dead and six people hurt Feb. 10 in Pennsylvania. The home was left destroyed.
Investigators believe the home was inhabited by a 21-year-old man the suspect’s ex-girlfriend had been communicating with online.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 17, Harrison Jones was arraigned Feb. 28 on the following charges:
- Six counts of attempted murder
- One count of arson causing death or bodily injury
- Two counts of arson of an inhabited building
- One count of arson causing reckless endangerment
- One count risking catastrophe
- One count of criminal negligence
- One count of use of a possible instrument with criminal intent
- Six counts of reckless endangerment
Jones was denied bail at his arraignment.
Kent
Rockford man waives extradition hearing in Pennsylvania arson case
Jones is accused of setting fire to a home in Bensalem Township, PA on Feb. 10. Six people inside the home escaped with their lives.
Investigators say Jones drove more than 11 hours to the house, set an explosive device, and then made the return trip to Michigan.
The motive is believed to stem from his ex-girlfriend's new relationship. Jones was supposed to drive his former girlfriend to Pennsylvania to meet up with a 21-year-old man she was talking with online. Instead, Jones may have left on his own with "murderous intent."
The 21-year-old lived with his parents, a sibling and elderly grandparents in the home. His mother woke up to the family's dogs alerting her to the fire. She was able to wake the others before it was too late.
At least three of them had to jump from a second-story window.
Sadly, the two dogs who sounded the alarm died in the fire.
The only clue investigators had was grainy home surveillance video that captured a black sedan stopping near the home at around 5 a.m. The person inside walked out to the home and 15 minutes later ran back to the vehicle. It sped off just as smoke started coming from the home's backyard.
Detectives used township intersection cameras to identify and track the vehicle entering and exiting the township. While in Bensalem Township, the car passed through an intersection with automated license plate readers, and detectives learned that the 2021 black Volkswagen Passat had a Michigan registration.
The vehicle came back as being owned by Brian Jones of Rockford. An additional search of various license plate readers across Pennsylvania allowed detectives to track the vehicle traveling toward Bensalem Township before the fire and back toward Michigan after the fire.
At the request of Pennsylvania investigators, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for Harrison Jones's residence and seized the 2021 Volkswagen Passat, lock-picking devices, a cell phone and a computer. When the deputies met up with Harrison Jones, he also had what appeared to be burns on his arm.
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