2/14/2019 update: The Comet arson suspect was arrested on February 13th.
Comet Ping Pong is back in the news after a fire at the restaurant Wednesday that DC and federal investigators believe was started intentionally. They are searching for the suspect.
ATF is seeking the pictured suspect for questioning about the January 23, 2019 arson at Comet Pizza, 5037 Connecticut Ave NW. If you have any information contact 1-888-ATF-FIRE. pic.twitter.com/KJd9FqZQt0
— ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) January 25, 2019
According to investigators, the suspect pictured above is a 25 to 30-year-old white man with blonde hair, a mustache and a beard. He was wearing a blue and white varsity-style jacket and blue jeans.
Investigators are asking anyone who can identify the suspect to contact DC Fire Investigator James Taylor at 202-904-6511 or [email protected].
WUSA*9 reports no one was hurt. NBC4 reports it’s not clear if the incident is related to the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theories. Comet, staff and neighboring restaurants have endured death threats and other abusive phone calls and online messages. And in late 2016, a North Carolina man who drove to DC to investigate the rumors fired an assault rifle inside the restaurant before surrendering to authorities.
The Subway restaurant at 4401 Connecticut (the WAMU building) was robbed twice last week, on Sunday, January 20th and again on Thursday, January 24th. After the second robbery, a suspect was arrested and charged.
A man has been arrested and charged after robbing the same Subway restaurant twice in five days, D.C. police said. https://t.co/Z0Tvy81Kwq
— ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) January 27, 2019