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
Via NBC:
Federal authorities were looking for a man Saturday for questioning in an arson fire at a Washington pizzeria known for being a target of conspiracy theorists.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives circulated imagery of a man taken from security video following the Wednesday night fire at the Comet Ping Pong pizza shop in Washington.
Vito Maggiolo, spokesman for the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, said pizzeria employees had extinguished the fire by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported.
“It involved some curtains in the rear of the restaurant,” Maggiolo said. “It was a deliberately set fire.”
A task force comprised of the ATF, the city fire department and the Metropolitan Police Department was investigating, he said. He called the man wanted for questioning a “person of interest.”
It wasn’t clear if the fire was connected to conspiracy theories that have dogged the eatery.
In 2016, Comet was targeted by some users of Reddit and 4chan discussion groups online who said a child sex ring was being operated out of the business’ basement.