BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — A Michigan man faces decades in prison after being sentenced Thursday for a targeted, “revenge-fueled” arson attack that destroyed a township home.
Harrison Jones, 22, of Rockford, Michigan, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison by Common Pleas Judge Matt Weintraub. Jones will not receive credit for time served, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said.
Jones pleaded no contest to six counts of attempted homicide and two counts of aggravated animal cruelty. He pleaded guilty to additional charges, including arson and risking catastrophe, related to the Feb. 10, 2025, fire. He also must pay over $500,000 in restitution for the property’s destruction.
The case involved a pre-dawn fire in the 5200 block of Merganser Way.
Police described Jones’s motive as “revenge-fueled” due to an online relationship that ended. They said he drove more than 700 miles from Michigan to the home, where he ignited an accelerant.
An explosion leveled the back of the home, trapping six people inside, authorities said.
The residents escaped by jumping from second-story windows. The home was completely incinerated, and two family pets died in the blaze.
During the sentencing hearing, a victim testified that she was blinded by smoke and believed she would die, crediting her father with her survival.
The family honored their two dogs, which alerted them to the danger, providing precious seconds for escape.
“Physical wounds heal, private property can be replaced,” Judge Weintraub said, “but pets can never be replaced, and trauma can never be erased.”
The judge said that Jones’s actions were planned and coordinated over several hours as he drove across state lines. Bensalem detectives used neighbor surveillance footage and Automated License Plate Readers to track Jones’s 2021 Volkswagen Passat. Michigan authorities apprehended Jones, who had visible burn marks on his arms from the explosion.