Man gets more than 27 years in prison for stalking ex, setting her NYC apartment on fire

A Brooklyn man will spend decades behind bars after being sentenced to prison for stalking his ex and then setting her Queens apartment on fire in 2021, the local district attorney's office said.

Steven Somerville, 52 and of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 27 to 29 years in prison Tuesday after being convicted by a jury in July 2023 if arson in the second degree, burglary in the second degree, reckless endangerment, criminal contempt in the first degree and stalking in the third and fourth degree, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

According to the charges and trial testimony, Somerville met a woman where both worked and began a relationship in October 2021. However, even though he was married, Somerville allegedly became "fixated on the woman and targeted her with unwanted attention" including showing up at her residence uninvited if she didn't answer his calls and insisted on driving her to work despite her not wanting to see him.

Somerville’s wife found out this woman, became concerned for her safety and encouraged her to contact the police, according to the charges and trial testimony.

However, on Dec. 4, 2021, when the woman attempted to end her relationship with Somerville, he allegedly threatened to kill her. She subsequently fled her residence with her three children to a domestic violence shelter, the district attorney's office said citing the charges and trial testimony.

Allegedly, Somerville called the victim more than 100 times over a 24-hour period.

Subsequently, Dec. 7, 2021, at around 4 a.m., Somerville entered the woman’s empty apartment located in a six-story building in Forest Hills. He then allegedly moved two mattresses from a bedroom into the living room, piled them with household items and clothing and set them on fire.

The woman was not home at the time of the blaze, having fled with her three children to a domestic violence shelter fearing Somerville would act upon his threats, according to the district attorney's office.

According to the charges and trial testimony, he escaped through a window leaving the front door locked. Surveillance footage showed him in the area of the building at the time.

The district attorney's office said that before and after the fire, Somerville sent the woman threatening texts including “I want you to know that I’m really going to kill you” and “There is no where I won’t find you now. I’m gonna devote my whole life to finding you and killing you.”

“Access to a domestic violence shelter may very well have saved this woman’s life," Katz said. "I urge victims of domestic violence who need safety planning services, or help in securing an order of protection or shelter placement, to call our 24-hour DV Helpline at (718) 286-4410.”