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Who burned down this popular Upper Marlboro restaurant?

Investigators say the evidence is overwhelming that someone burned down a local family business, but the mystery is who.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- Tucker's wasn't just a restaurant and a liquor store. It was a local night spot where friends gathered for live music and to dance the night away.

That's what makes the fire so hard to accept. Who would do this?

The Patel family got the call in the early morning. Their Upper Marlboro business was burning down.

"I thought it was maybe some small fire. The whole establishment was burned down," said Druvesh Patel.

His uncle Rakeshukumar Patel said, "I was crying. It was very bad,"

Bad doesn't even come close to the devastation the Patel family felt on June 17, 2015.

After all, Tucker's, a beloved hang out, had been serving the Prince George's community since 1969.

"Everybody around here was practically like our family," Druvesh Patel said.

So, they were asking who would want to destroy the local lounge. Fire investigators quickly ruled out the Patels as suspects. So, they kept digging.

They had to wait a few days to get the all clear to go inside. The intense inferno caused the structure to collapse.

"They were able to collect evidence using our canine detection to make a hit on a flammable liquid that was used," said Prince George's County Fire and EMS spokesperson Mark Brady.

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That flammable liquid, gasoline, caused about $2 million dollars in damage. Investigators collected as much evidence as they could, including a crucial clue from the store's surveillance cameras.

"We have have some security video that clearly shows the individual, unfortunately, not the face," Brady said.

Investigators want to know who this is. It's someone wearing what appears to be gray sweats. The hoodie concealing the face, toting a large black plastic bag, making their way across Tucker's parking lot.

"Also, the video from inside shows that same individual spreading what appears to be gasoline throughout the bar area and then igniting it," Brady said.

Druvesh Patel said, "Why would anyone want to do something so tragic that it would hurt the people around them?"

Prince George's County Fire investigators have been sifting, searching and re-examining the evidence for answers.

Three years later, investigators are no closer to solving this arson case.

"While we heard some information from members of the community, we didn't get the information that we needed to identify a suspect," said Brady. "Time has passed where the individual may have bragged or spoken to someone about the fire. So, we believe somebody out there, right now, has information that will lead us to identify that suspect so we can arrest them."

Meanwhile, the Patel family is focusing on rebuilding their business and their lives.

"For the period that it was burned down, you know, the family was really struggling," Druvesh Patel said.

The family is still unnerved by the pain of not knowing who would want to burn down their business.

But, the Patel's share a faith that perhaps someone out there can identify the person in the video by their clothing or the way they walk, any tip that may lead investigators to the suspect.

Druvesh Patel said, "By God's grace we are back up today. But, you know, it would have helped to find out who did this."

Crime Solvers has a $2500 reward for any information that may lead to an arrest and conviction in the Tucker's Restaurant Lounge and Bar arson case.

You can also leave tips at pgcrimesolvers.com or use the app P3TIPS.

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