Two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson and endangerment following a fire that consumed a family's garage in Gilbert. The garage, which also served as a barn, caught fire late Wednesday night near Higley and Guadalupe roads. Gilbert police and fire crews responded to the blazing structure, successfully extinguishing the fire with no reported injuries, as reported by FOX10 Phoenix.
Minutes before the fire was reported to authorities, homeowner Jeni Jones's daughter and friends had been inside the barn, virtually escaping harm just before the fireworks detonated, causing the garage door to blow open and flames to emerge from every gap in the building. "It was like right away, the garage door went like that and you could hear it building up. You hear it pop and everything went in flames," Lexi Jones recounted in a statement obtained by FOX10 Phoenix.
The arrested juveniles were reportedly friends of the family, with one having a history of harassing Jones's daughter, which led the mother to advise her daughter to end contact with the boy. After the incident, one boy sent a derogatory Snapchat to Jones's daughter, which he then deleted. According to a statement made by Jeni Jones, "They had to have known it was going to blow up. They can say that they didn't mean for it to happen but what did you mean? What did you mean when you threw fireworks inside a barn with 10 kids. What were your intentions?"
The devastating blaze destroyed not just the structure but also personal valuables and sentimental items, including a classic car collection and the family's first snowboard, intended as a keepsake for potential future grandchildren. "My daughter's very first snowboard when she was like four or five. We were like, we'll save that for our future grandkids. So, that's gone," Jeni Jones lamented, according to quotes given to ABC15.
The case is still under investigation, and Gilbert Police have not disclosed whether additional charges will be brought against the other teens present at the scene.
