Hollywood Beach restaurant targeted by arsonist for second time
HOLLYWOOD - A man has lobbed a Molotov cocktail at the iconic Broadwalk Restaurant on Hollywood Beach for a second time in less than two months.
Surveillance video shows a man in a red car throwing a potentially dangerous firebomb at the back of the restaurant, at 1400 N Surf Road, early Tuesday morning, with limited damage.
Restaurant manager Denis Almeida said he couldn't believe it happened again, but that footage shows the person who threw the Molotov cocktail appears to be the same person who also attacked the restaurant in June.
"We don't have a problem with anybody here, our neighbors, our former employees," Almeida said. "We haven't had any problems with them in the last year."
"I have no clue who it could be," he said. "It's happening to us right now and it could happen to anybody else."
The attack was similar to one on June 24 when a man in a red car was caught on camera hurling a Molotov cocktail at the back of the restaurant and then driving away.
Eight days earlier, a Molotov cocktail was thrown over a wall on Johnson Street by North 10th Avenue. It landed next to a home on Silverbell Street in a gated community. Homeowner Michael Hoffman said that on Ring camera video, you can hear glass shattering after the bottle was thrown and was thankful that it didn't do a lot of damage.
At the time, Hollywood police said it did not appear the two cases were connected.
"We have never had an experience like this before. I have been here for 9 years and the owners have been here for 22 years we have never had anything close to that. Again, I have no clue why this happened. We do not recognize this person. Fortunately, nothing happened to us but we don't want to see this happening anywhere else," Almeida said.
Almeida showed us the spot where the latest Molotov cocktail was thrown and where it left a burnt spot in the driveway in back of the restaurant. He said he saw the debris and said, "It was a Bud Light beer bottle that was used."
Hollywood police confirmed that they responded to the report of the Molotov cocktail at 4:50 in the morning but they did not say if they have confirmed that the same person struck again. They are urging people who can help to call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).
There is a reward of up to $5000.