Investigators Suspect Arson In Queen Sheba Restaurant Fire

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A popular Ethiopian restaurant in Sacramento caught fire and investigators believe it was no accident.

The owner of Queen Sheba said someone is captured on surveillance video, appearing to light the fire on purpose.

Staff at Queen Sheba had already started to rebuild Monday afternoon after a very busy morning. The damage was just to the outside of the restaurant.

Zion Taddese, the owner of Queen Sheba, said it's community support that's getting her through this. She's owned Queen Sheba for 15 years.

"I honestly just broke down and cried because why would anybody ever do such a thing?" Taddese said.

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Investigators are not releasing the surveillance video captured by the business next door, saying it would compromise the investigation.

"I'm just waiting for them to tell me why this happened, it's just puzzling to me," Taddese said.

Customers who stopped by for their usual order were taken by surprise Monday morning. Frequent customer Stevie Hawkins said Queen Sheba is much more than a restaurant, it's a gathering spot for people in the community.

"The atmosphere, the healthy food, the greetings, the positivity that radiates," she said.

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Kevin Swanton is the project manager for a multimillion-dollar investment happening right next to Queen Sheba. He said this fire makes him nervous and he plans to install top-of-the-line video cameras and motion sensors.

"We don't like this going on and we hope it doesn't continue because there are a lot of buildings down here that do have wood on them and are susceptible to fire," Swanton said.

Taddese hopes to have Queen Sheba reopened within the next few days.