Hollywood Police reenacted an arson that occurred at a grill and gourmet food shop in September in an effort to get the community to help give them information on the crime.
"They actually break in through the front window and throw in a Molotov cocktail and set both of the business on fire," Officer Osvaldo Perez recounted on Monday, when the reenactment was carried out. "They each broke into a different business which are side by side and set both businesses on fire."
The businesses affected by that fire were Achla Pita Grill and Dairy Gourmet.
In September 2012, the same shopping plaza at 5650 Stirling Road was the scene of another arson that also involved Achla Pita Grill. Police said they believe the same men are to blame.
A fourth business in the shopping center, Holyland Judaica, was also set on fire in December 2011.
"I'm just upset that people get away with things," said Michael Katz, the owner of the Jewish bookstore.
Two people were caught on surveillance video outside Holyland Judaica when it was set on fire on Dec. 1, 2011 at 1:57 a.m., according to police.
"It was like a war zone, fire trucks, police cars all over the place. In these cases of these restaurants they broke in through the front. In the case of fire they broke in through the back," said Katz.
The shopping plaza contains mostly Jewish businesses, but Katz said he doesn't think the suspects acted for anti-Semitic reasons.
"Anti-Semites want us to know that they were there, they leave calling cards, you know like swastikas, Jews get out, something out on the walls. They didn't. I think that indicates that it was not anti-Semitism," Katz said.
Surveillance video released by police showed two unidentified people wearing hoodies at the time of the Holyland Judaica fire. One of the hoodies appears to be yellow, and the other white.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hollywood Police Department at 954-967-4411 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
