Alabama man sentenced after setting father's home on fire, killing family pets

Federal authorities say an Alabama man will spend nearly five years in prison after he was found guilty of setting his father's home on fire and killing multiple pets.

Tommy Harrison Sr., 34, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to crossing state lines to commit arson.

According to court documents, Harrison set out in a car from Birmingham, Alabama to Connersville, Indiana, driving eight hours to set his father's house on fire.

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According to the Justice Department, at 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2021, Harrison arrived at the Indiana home of his father, where his father's wife and children were inside, and used gasoline to light the inside and outside of the house on fire.

"Video surveillance from the area showed Harrison parking next door to the victim’s house, exiting the vehicle, placing a container on the ground, and driving away. Harrison returned approximately twenty minutes later, and repeatedly drove around the residence for approximately twenty minutes until he backed his car into the yard," a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana said .

A cat and dog were killed in the blaze.

“This defendant’s actions had a devastating impact not only on the immediate victims, but on the community of Connersville as well. His actions uprooted a family, destroyed their peace of mind, and shook the small town in which his father was a prominent community leader,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers said.

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“Crossing state lines to commit a violent crime is a serious offense that merits a serious federal prison sentence. Thanks to the talents and persistence of investigators at the FBI, the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office, and our federal prosecutor, this arsonist was successfully identified and held accountable," Myers said.

Harrison also defaced the property with a racial slur using spray paint he purchased on the drive from Alabama to Indiana, the statement said.

This story was originally published by James Howell Jr. at Scripps News Indianapolis .