Three-time Burnaby restaurant arsonist sentenced to nearly five years behind bars

A prolific Burnaby restaurant arsonist who caused more than $550,000 in damage three years ago has been sentenced to nearly five years behind bars.

Steven Sorenson was convicted of three counts of arson in B.C. Supreme Court in November and sentenced on April 21, with a three-year probation order effective upon his release.

“This sentencing is the conclusion of a difficult and painstaking investigation that involved a significant amount of video evidence,” said Burnaby RCMP investigator Sgt. Aly Mohan in a Monday news release.

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“Throughout this investigation, our officers remained dedicated to identifying and locating a suspect and gathering sufficient evidence to secure charges.”

Sorenson, 50, set fire to a Korean restaurant and a sushi restaurant on Kingsway near Royal Oak Avenue early in the morning on April 11, 2020. The two fires caused extensive damage to both businesses.

Seven months later, he targeted the same sushi restaurant, lighting it ablaze on Nov. 13, 2020.

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Editor’s Note: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Sorenson had been sentenced to nearly five months of incarceration, instead of nearly five years.