Patel allegedly killed his wife in Maryland.
By Raif Karerat
(Bhadreshkumar Patel. Courtesy: FBI)
The FBI is escalating the manhunt for an Indian American man who allegedly killed his wife in the back room of a Hanover, Maryland Dunkin’ Donuts this past spring.
Acting on the belief that 25-year-old Bhadreshkumar Patel is in the New York metro area, the feds have unveiled a “wanted” billboard in Times Square to help solicit tips, according to NBC News. They also released new surveillance footage of 21-year-old Palak Patel’s dying moments on April 12.
Local NBC affiliate WBAL reported police were called to the store shortly before 11 p.m. after patrons found it odd that no one was minding the front of the business.
When officers responded, they found employee Palak Patel prone and injured in the establishment’s kitchen. She was alive when authorities reached her, but was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Anne Arundel County police say Palak Patel was stabbed to death with a large kitchen knife. Her husband faces charges of first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, and a weapons offense.
Police released that he was last seen on April 13 at a Newark, N.J., hotel and may be getting help from relatives. A witness who positively identified Bhadreshkumar from a photograph told investigators she drove Bhadreshkumar in a taxi from a location near the Dunkin’ Donuts to a Best Western hotel just outside of Newark International Airport.
However, there is no indication he fled the country, authorities said, despite a previously submitted affidavit that claimed it was a possibility.