Former Chandler firefighter sentenced to 10.5 years for setting ex-girlfriend’s house on fire
Sep 29, 2023, 11:29 AM
Eric Donald Jones, a former Chandler firefighter, was found guilty Aug. 29, 2023, of setting an ex-girlfriend's house on fire in 2021. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo and Pixabay Stock Image)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo and Pixabay Stock Image)
PHOENIX — A former Chandler firefighter was sentenced to 10½ years in prison for setting an ex-girlfriend’s house on fire two years ago, authorities announced Friday.
Eric Donald Jones, 43, was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 29 on five charges: arson of an occupied structure, endangerment, misconduct involving weapons, criminal damage and assault.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Jones poured gasoline on the exterior of the ex-girlfriend’s home on April 18, 2021, and used a Molotov cocktail to start a fire.
Jones had assaulted the woman at a nearby business an hour before the fire was set, according to prosecutors.
A 15-year-old child was alone inside the house at the time but was able to get out unharmed.
The fire caused extensive damage in the garage as well as smoke damage inside the house.
“This defendant was a public servant who was trusted by the community to protect residents from the very same damage he inflicted that night,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release.
“Not only did he put those inside the home in grave danger, but fellow firefighters who responded were intentionally placed at risk. I’m proud of the team in my office that brought this defendant to justice.”
