A fire that shut down a Mississippi Delta staple is now being investigated as arson.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, first responders made their way to Catfish Cabin in Boyle, less than 10 minutes away from Cleveland, in response to a massive blaze that had engulfed the popular restaurant. The fire caused the local catfish eatery to shut down indefinitely. No injuries were reported at the scene.
Four days later, Cleveland-Bolivar County Crime Stoppers posted a photo of an unidentified individual who is accused of igniting the fire. The State Fire Marshal’s Office, which is leading the investigation into the incident, is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in connection with this case. Likewise, Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for relevant information regarding the fire’s origins.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office can be reached at (601)359-1061 and Crime Stoppers can be contacted at (1-800)222-8477. At this time, authorities have not released any information regarding who the suspected arsonist may be.
“During my time at Delta State, my sorority sisters and I loved going to Catfish Cabin. The food and service were always excellent. Every time I go back to Cleveland for a football game or anything else, I always go out of my way to pay Catfish Cabin a visit,” a DSU alum and former frequent Catfish Cabin customer said.
“Being from a Delta town roughly an hour away from Cleveland and Boyle, Catfish Cabin felt like a home away from home. It truly hurt me to see that somebody decided to set the building on fire. I hope police are able to find this suspect quickly and bring them to justice.”
In the meantime, while Catfish Cabin is unable to serve customers out of its brick-and-mortar facility on US-61, the restaurant plans to operate on wheels. Using the business’ food truck, Catfish Cabin On The Road will soon open up shop at the Delta Pointe Event Center on North Gaines Highway. The specific opening date has not yet been released by the restaurant.
