Vancouver man Jeffrey Borrego Santonil charged with arson

Charges have now been laid in an overnight arson incident that led to neighbours rescuing a 56 year old Vancouver man who was trapped in a burning shed following an altercation with another man.

Just before midnight, officers and firefighters from the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service arrived to find that a man had been rescued from a shed that was on fire. The fire was quickly extinguished and a suspect was arrested walking nearby. The damage to the shed was minimal and the victim suffered no injuries as a result of the fire.

Jeffrey Borrego Santonil, a 27 year old Vancouver man, is now charged with attempted murder, arson – disregard for human life, and uttering threats. Santonil has no previous criminal history. He appeared in provincial court this morning at 9:30 a.m.

Background:

A 27 year old Vancouver man is in custody and Vancouver Police Major Crime Section detectives are investigating after a dramatic overnight incident in southeast Vancouver.

Shortly before midnight, calls to 9-1-1 came in from residents in the 3300 block Cherry Street of a fire in a shed in a backyard. Officers and firefighters from the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service arrived and quickly discovered that neighbours had rescued a man who had been possibly trapped inside the shed after an altercation with another man.

The suspect, a 27 year old Vancouver man, was located by police and arrested nearby. The victim was examined by EHS and released at the scene. Arson and Major Crime detectives were called out to assist patrol units and the investigation is continuing this morning to determine how the events unfolded.

The suspect is in custody and facing possible arson-related charges.