The Lighthouse Cove Development Company Thursday announced that it has increased its reward from $10,000 to $20,000 for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the fire that destroyed the Lighthouse Restaurant on April 23.
The fire has been investigated by the Delaware Fire Marshal’s office, which determined that the blaze was the result of arson.
“We would like to thank the Delaware Fire Marshal and Dewey Beach Police for all of their efforts in the ongoing arson investigation at the Lighthouse Restaurant,” said E. Thomas Harvey, III, president of Lighthouse Cove Development Company. “The arson at the Lighthouse Restaurant wasn’t just an attack on Lighthouse Cove, but an attack on the greater Dewey community, and we are determined to identify and bring justice to the responsible parties. We appreciate the community-wide support we have received and hope we can continue working together to keep Dewey Beach safe.”
The Lighthouse Restaurant was being remodeled at the time of the fire, with the expectation that it would be reopened in the summer of 2020. Due to the extensive damage caused by the fire, the Lighthouse and restaurant have been deemed structurally unsafe and are being demolished.
“We have increased the reward to $20,000 to encourage anyone who witnessed the act to come forward, whether or not they have any association with those responsible,” stated Thomas J. Hanna, president of Harvey Hanna & Associates, the company that is overseeing the redevelopment. “Dewey Beach is a special place and by working together, we are confident we can bring to full light the details of this senseless act.”
Anyone with information on the fire is asked to contact the Delaware Fire Marshal at (302) 856-5600; Delaware Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at (800) TIP-3333; or Harvey, Hanna & Associates at (302) 323-9300 Ext. 112.
Fire damages landmark restaurant at Dewey’s Lighthouse Cove development
