The Redmond Police Department (RPD) is searching for a man who may have information on the March 31 Celtic Bayou restaurant fire at 7281 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy.
According to an RPD press release, police are concerned for the man’s well-being.
The Auburn Police Department (APD) has confirmed that the man, Celtic Bayou owner Rizwan Dhanani, was last seen on April 1, working at a Dairy Queen at 220 15th St. N.E. in Auburn.
Becky Range, public information officer for RPD, said he also owns this restaurant and a number of other businesses. Celtic Bayou is Dhanani’s only business in Redmond.
Dhanani lives in unincorporated King County outside of Redmond.
According to the RPD release, Dhanani was at the Auburn Dairy Queen working at 7 p.m. on March 31. Range said surveillance footage shows him leaving the building at 2 a.m. on April 1. She said he planned to work until 11 p.m. and relatives heard from him at around that time. The relatives said he told them he would be staying at work for a few more hours, Range said. She added that the surveillance shows Dhanani leaving the restaurant on his own accord.
This was the last time Dhanani has been seen or heard from and RPD is working closely with Dhanani’s family members.
The release states that investigators from the Redmond Fire Department have reason to believe the fire was the result of arson as a witness provided a description on-scene of a man leaving the area shortly after the fire — which occurred around 1 a.m. on March 31.
The witness — who was from a nearby business — heard and felt an explosion and quickly called 911 and Redmond fire and police were dispatched to the fire. There was significant damage to the restaurant, but no injuries. Several sprinklers activated to put out most of the fire, which did not spread to other businesses.
Range said police visited Dhanani’s residence a few hours later, around 5 a.m., to interview him and he visited the Redmond police station later that day to provide more information. Dhanani has not been named a suspect in the arson case.
After looking through his personal items and coordinating with APD, the release states that relatives have confirmed to RPD that Dhanani is without his usual vehicle, cell phone and jacket. Range said the car he drove to work that night was left in the Dairy Queen parking lot, meaning when Dhanani disappeared, it was not in his car. She said relatives have also confirmed that all known forms of his identification remained in the wallet found in the vehicle.
While APD is officially responsible for the missing person’s case Redmond detectives are working closely with the family members.
“We’re concerned about him,” said Range.
Dhanani is 46 years old and of East Indian descent. He is about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a brown sweater, light blue jeans and yellow tennis shoes.
Police are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dhanani, to call (425) 556-2500 and ask for detective Bollerud or email him at jbollerud@redmond.gov.
