Man admits setting fire to Mission San Gabriel — faces up to 10 years in prison

A 62-year-old man faces up to 10 years in prison for setting fire to the historic Mission San Gabriel Arcángel five years ago.

John David Corey pleaded no contest on Friday, Aug. 22, to one felony count of arson of a structure and also admitted the special allegation that he used an accelerant to start the fire, said Zara Lockshin, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

He is expected to be sentenced to seven years for the arson and three more years for the accelerant allegation, she said. The sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2026, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.

He will be ordered to pay restitution but the exact amount has not been set, Lockshin said. “Evidence presented at the preliminary hearing showed estimates (of church damage) in excess of $9 million,” she added.

The fire started shortly before 4:30 a.m. on July 11, 2020, in the choir loft on the second floor. It spread to the ceiling, the attic space and the roof, a San Gabriel Fire Department official said in 2020.

The blaze tore through the church, at 429 S. Junipero Serra Drive, that was founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771. Portions of the roof collapsed.

Corey had broken into the church through a dilapidated door that led to the second-floor choir loft, Lockshin said.

“Once inside, he poured a liquid accelerant … on the floor of the choir loft, and also on an interior staircase,” she said. “He then used an open-flame device … to ignite the accelerant. The fire quickly spread and caused catastrophic damage.”

Authorities on May 4, 2021, announced the charges against Corey, who was homeless and used to live in an unincorporated area near San Gabriel, the city’s police have said.

The restored church reopened in 2023.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 27, Corey was being held without the possibility of bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.