Two years after a shopkeeper was set on fire in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, the man accused in the disturbing attack has been found dead. Authorities said the victim was doused in accelerant then set alight at a currency exchange in Surrey’s Whalley area in August 2024. He suffered severe burns, but survived. On Wednesday, the Surrey Police Service announced the remains of the sole suspect in the crime—33-year-old Kalid Yimer—were discovered in a forested area of the Fleetwood neighbourhood. “The goal of any investigation is to ultimately find the person or persons responsible and hold them to account,” said Staff Sgt. Tara Nicholls, in a statement. “While we may never learn the true motive of this horrible attack, we hope the victim and community can rest assured that police have found the person who was responsible.” Authorities have not disclosed Yimer’s cause of death, but said they don’t believe he was met with foul play. Yimer was identified as a suspect days after the 2024 attack, but managed to evade police until his death. He was charged in absentia with attempted murder last year. The Surrey Police Service said that charge has now been abated, and the investigation into the attack is closed. The victim and his family have been notified and ask for privacy, police said.
