Hacienda Heights man convicted of burning St. John Vianney Catholic Church

20120516_035052_Gregory Yusuke Shiga

A 35-year-old Hacienda Heights man was convicted Tuesday by a Pomona Superior Court jury of burning down St. John Vianney Catholic Church in April 2011.

In less than an hour, the jury found Gregory Yusuke Shiga guilty on all counts.

“The jury just got the case this morning, and they were calling in about an hour and a half later,” said Jane Robison, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Shiga was convicted of five counts, including aggravated arson, arson of a structure, arson of an inhabited structure, possession of flammable material and second-degree commercial burglary, according to the district attorney.

He faces 10 years to life in state prison when he appears before Judge Thomas Falls for sentencing July 19.

The fire, set shortly before Easter in April 2011, caused $9 million worth of damage to the sanctuary and several other church-owned buildings on the large property located at 1345 Turnbull Canyon Road in Hacienda Heights.

Read more in Steve Scauzillo’s story GUILTY.

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