Man convicted, sentenced for 3 arsons targeting restaurants in Burnaby

Fire breaks out at Burnaby restaurant Fire crews were busy battling a blaze that broke out at a Burnaby restaurant overnight.

A 50-year-old man has been convicted of three counts of arson and sentenced in relation to fires set at two Burnaby restaurants, according to authorities.

On April 11, 2020, fires were deliberately set at a Korean restaurant and a sushi restaurant on Kingsway near Royal Oak Avenue – damaging both businesses, Burnaby RCMP said in a statement Monday.

In November of 2020, another fire was set "targeting the same sushi restaurant for a second time," according to police.

Investigators reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance video gathered from the event to identify the suspect, the statement from Mounties says.

“This sentencing is the conclusion of a difficult and painstaking investigation that involved a significant amount of video evidence. Throughout this investigation, our officers remained dedicated to identifying and locating a suspect and gathering sufficient evidence to secure charges,” Sgt. Aly Mohan, with the Burnaby RCMP Investigative Services said.

Steven Sean Sorenson was charged in connection to the three fires on November 13, 2020 and convicted of three counts of arson in BC Supreme court in November 2022.

Last month, Sorenson was sentenced to a prison term of "nearly five years," with a three year probation order which will take effect once he is released, police said.

The three fires have caused an estimated damage of $550,000, police said.