Quenton Jones, a 64-year-old Washington, D.C. man, has been sentenced to over 19 years in prison after being convicted of setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, as well as multiple other charges. The sentence, which will be followed by five years of supervised release, was handed down by Superior Court Judge Erik Christian, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case against Jones included evidence of a pattern of harassment and threats culminating in the arson incident. After accusing his ex-girlfriend of cheating on December 28, 2023, Jones later left multiple demeaning voicemails violating a Stay Away No Contact Order. Early on February 3, 2024, he detailed lewd allegations on her apartment door with a marker, later returning to ignite a fire. All residents of the building were forced to evacuate, said the U.S. Attorney's Office, making the recommendation that argued about the little remorse Jones showed.
On May 24, 2024, a Superior Court jury found Jones guilty on an array of charges including one count of arson, two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of felony threats, one count of felony destruction of property, and multiple counts of felony contempt. The U.S. Attorney’s release indicated that even after his arrest, Jones’s pattern of harassment continued, contacting the victim from jail and writing a letter before trial.
In their announcement of the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and MPD Chief Pamela Smith commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department in investigating the case. "Security risk he poses for the entire community," as pointed by the government, was highlighted alongside the significant psychological impact of Jones’s actions on the victim. Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Reshawn Johnson and several others, were acknowledged for their contributions to the prosecution. The case was brought to closure with the efforts by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Monisha Rao from the Domestic Violence Unit.
