Pravin Patel was shot dead in his Quiznos restaurant.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: A sizeable $20,000 reward was announced Wednesday for any information that leads to the arrest of a gunman who fatally shot the Indian American owner of a Quiznos restaurant during a robbery in San Dimas, California.
Pravin Patel, 62, was shot in the chest at a Quiznos in the 1000 block of West Arrow Highway around 3:25 p.m. on June 2, said Sgt. Rebecca Rodriguez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“The employee gave over the money and he followed the suspect outside of the location. A struggle ensued in front of the store and the suspect shot the victim,” Rodriguez stated, according to Los Angeles-based station KTLA.
A woman who ran a business next door immediately called 911 and Patel was subsequently airlifted to a nearby hospital where he eventually died.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the robber was described as Hispanic or Caucasian, in his mid 20s, 6 feet tall, and about 180 pounds. He was wearing a baseball hat, black T-shirt with plaid shorts at the time of the attack.
Patel and his wife were the owners of the restaurant where he was murdered, a family spokesman confirmed Wednesday while a sketch of the shooter was released at an afternoon news conference.
A sign posted on the shop’s door described him as a “hard-working family man who brought people together,” reported KTLA. The notice also directed people to a fundraising site for the family on Youcaring.com. Along with his wife, Patel is survived by a son, daughter, and two grandchildren.
“He frequently spoke about retiring in a few years so he could spend every hour with his wife, children, and grandkids,” the page states. “He will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him.”