UPDATE (3:45 p.m. 5/7): The Silver Diner is expected to reopen 5 p.m. Saturday and plans to resume normal business hours for Mother’s Day, a spokeswoman for the company said in an email Saturday afternoon.
WASHINGTON — A cook who had been on bereavement leave since April intentionally drove his SUV into the Silver Diner in Tysons Corner multiple times, and then set himself on fire, Fairfax County police said.
Samuel O. Abutoh, 59, of Springfield, remained hospitalized Friday with injuries he suffered from his actions two days earlier when he set the SUV ablaze and injured three other people.
One of those injured was a 74-year-old McLean man who was struck by the SUV as he entered the diner. None suffered life-threatening injuries.
Police said that Abutoh was seen “pouring liquid on his body and lighting himself on fire” while he sat in the SUV after striking the building.
Arrest warrants have been obtained charging Abutoh with malicious wounding and destruction of property, police said.
However the Office of the Fire Marshal is also investigating and additional charges are pending.
A Silver Diner spokeswoman said that Abutoh no longer works for the diner, where had worked as a cook for two years.
He had been on leave for bereavement since April 5.
