Hollywood Police are on the hunt for a suspect following a reported arson attempt on a family-owned restaurant, with surveillance footage capturing a man hurling a Molotov cocktail at the Broadwalk Restaurant along North Surf Road, Hollywood Beach, as per details shared by WSVN.
The incident, which took place in the early hours of June 24, involved the suspect lobbing the flaming bottle towards the establishment's back alley and then fleeing the scene in a red sedan, the restaurant well-known and a fixture for over two decades, the owner Danielle Thomas professed shock and confusion over the attack to NBC Miami. saying "I was in shock – we’ve been here for 22 years and never had anything like this happen to us."
While the Molotov cocktail did not manage to inflict significant damage, it left burn marks at the site and the close call left Thomas and her staff shaken, with potential consequences for their livelihoods had the restaurant caught fire, which thankfully did not happen, Thomas stressed the seriousness of the situation explaining “If the place caught on fire then all my employees would be out of work," Thomas said. "They've been with me for many years, 15 years most of them. And they really don't have anywhere to go, and it would have been very hard for a lot of people." in a statement to NBC Miami.
Authorities, while short on eyewitnesses due to the timing of the attempted arson, are relying on the clear images of the suspected arsonist and his vehicle captured by surveillance cameras, urging anyone with information to come forward and promising up to a $5,000 reward, said Thomas to WSVN, expressing her hope for a speedy apprehension of the culprit stating "I feel horrible and scared and terrified," tips can be reported anonymously to Broward County Crime Stoppers at number 954-493-TIPS.
Following the incident, the Broadwalk Restaurant only shuttered temporarily during the police investigation, resuming operations shortly thereafter—as it continues to serve the Hollywood Beach community.
