A 43-year-old former Chandler firefighter has been sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for setting fire to a former girlfriend’s home.

Eric Donald Jones was found guilty on five counts, including arson of an occupied structure and endangerment in connection with the 2021 fire, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

During the early morning of April 18, 2021, Jones went to an ex-girlfriend’s house and poured gasoline on the outside of the home while a 15-year-old child was alone inside, an MCAO release stated.

He then used a Molotov to start the house on fire, according to authorities.

An hour earlier, Jones had assaulted the ex-girlfriend at a nearby business, officials said.

There was extensive damage in the garage and smoke damage inside the house. The 15-year-old was able to get out of the home before the fire reached him. 

“This defendant was a public servant who was trusted by the community to protect residents from the very same damage he inflicted that night,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Friday.

“Not only did he put those inside the home in grave danger, but fellow firefighters who responded were intentionally placed at risk.”