Michigan man arraigned in Bensalem arson case

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A West Michigan man accused of driving 700+ miles to set fire to a home in Bensalem has returned to Pennsylvania to face charges.

Harrison Jones, 21, left the Kent County jail Friday and arrived in Bucks County that night, the local sheriff’s department said. He was arraigned on 13 felony and six misdemeanor charges — including six counts of attempted murder and various arson charges — and denied bail.

Authorities say that early on the morning of Feb. 10, Jones set fire to a home in Bensalem Township, just north of Philadelphia. One of the women in the home saw the flames and got everyone out of the house. None of the six people in the home were seriously hurt, though two dogs were killed and the home was destroyed.

Jones was captured on camera exiting the car, and walking towards the rear of the house. After approximately 4 minutes, he returns to the car, grabs an “object” and heads back to the rear of the house where he stays for another 12 minutes.

Bensalem Township police were able to track the car going to and from Bensalem and have video of Jones in a Pennsylvania convenience store hours before the fire.

Police have said they believe the crime to be romantically motivated: One of the home’s residents was allegedly involved in a relationship with a Michigan woman who was Jones’ ex-girlfriend, the police chief previously told our partners at News 8. But the woman told our partners at News 8 she never actually dated Jones and had previously applied for a personal protection order against him.

Speaking to our partners at News 8 from the Kent County Correctional Facility on Feb. 20, Jones denied burning down the house, but added, “there’s a lot that I can’t talk about because I can’t risk getting other people hurt in the whole process.” He said he “had to do what they said,” though he wouldn’t explain who “they” were.

“They forced me to do some things I didn’t want to do,” Jones said. “That I had to do, or else (the Michigan woman) would have ended up getting hurt. My family was put at risk.”

With bail denied, Jones will remain in the Bucks County jail as his case works its way through the legal system.

A GoFundMe account has been created to support the family in Bensalem. A fundraiser for a Philadelphia animal shelter has also been launched in memory of the dogs killed in the fire. Its goal was 0, but it had raised nearly ,300 as of noon Monday.