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A Michigan man has been arrested and charged with six counts of attempted homicide after allegedly traveling more than 700 miles to Pennsylvania and setting fire to the home of a man who had been communicating with his ex-girlfriend, authorities said.
Officials from the Bensalem Fire Rescue and Bensalem Police Detectives launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and determined that it was “intentionally set and incendiary in nature.”
Surveillance Footage Captures Suspect’s Actions
Police revealed that home surveillance cameras in the area recorded key evidence.
“Nearby home surveillance captured a black sedan as it passed the home on Merganser Way and stopped at the Mallard Drive intersection at 5:01 a.m.,” police said in a statement. “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. 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.”
Authorities initially had only a grainy image of the black sedan from a neighbor’s security camera as their lead.
Detectives Track Michigan Man Using Camera Technology
Bensalem Police detectives utilized township intersection cameras to track the suspect’s vehicle entering and exiting the area.
“While in Bensalem, the car passed through an intersection with Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) installed,” police explained. “Detectives found that the 2021 black Volkswagen Passat had a Michigan registration. The vehicle came back to Brian Jones of Rockford, Michigan.”
By searching additional ALPR data across multiple states, authorities traced the vehicle’s movement toward Bensalem before the fire and its return journey to Michigan afterward.
Investigation Leads to Michigan Man with Burns on Arms
Further investigation revealed a potential motive for the attack.
“[Detectives] 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,” police stated. “The ex-boyfriend of the female from Michigan was identified as Harrison Jones of Rockford, Michigan, who lives at the same address as the owner of the Volkswagen Passat.”
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Harrison Jones’s residence, where they seized the 2021 Volkswagen Passat, along with lock-picking devices, a cell phone, and a computer.
Authorities also observed what appeared to be burns on Jones’ arms when they made contact with him.
Charges and Law Enforcement Response
Jones was arrested by the Kent County Sheriff’s Department and charged with six counts of attempted criminal homicide, arson, and risking catastrophe.
In a statement, the Bensalem Township Police Department expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts that led to the arrest.
“The Bensalem Township Police Department would like to thank the Kent County Michigan Sheriff’s Department for deploying numerous resources and manpower to identify, interview, and arrest Harrison Jones for these heinous acts,” police said. “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.”
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