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Chesapeake family of six struggling to survive after home set on fire

Posted at 6:53 PM, Aug 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-29 17:05:50-04

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — News 3 spoke with the family who lost their home to arson in the Great Bridge section of the city.

Investigators said a car in the driveway was set on fire, which then spread to the house on Denver Avenue on August 8.

Sandy Swanner Harbor, the grandmother of the six children displaced, said they've lost everything and are trying to get their lives back to normal.

Harbor said her daughter Maegan Swanner, Maegan's boyfriend and four children lived in the home.

Police arrested Michael Phillip Jones, 32,who is Swanner's estranged husband and father to two of her children.

"I mean, the kids lost everything and so did she," Harbor said.

Jones remains behind bars without bail. Court documents state he was on probation or parole from past criminal offenses.

Those documents show that Jones has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2007.

The family says many of the crimes involved Swanner.

Now they're asking for help. A GoFundMe has been created to collect donations.

"Toys," Harbor said somberly. "You don't think about stuff like that until you don't have it."

Harbor mentioned she hopes Jones doesn't get a slap on the wrist for another crime that he's accused of committing.

"The mother of his children and his children; who does that? I mean, I don't think he should ever get out of jail honestly," Harbor said.