Bhadreshkumar Patel, 26, killed his wife Palak in Dunkin Donuts back room in 2015. He is absconding ever since.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added Indian citizen Bhadreshkumar Patel, 26, to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, on Tuesday. The investigating agency has put $100,000 reward to any information that directly leads to Patel’s arrest. Patel is wanted in the murder of his 21-year-old wife Palak. Apparently, Patel stabbed his wife several times in a fit of rage in the night of April 12, 2015. He is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and using a dangerous weapon with intent to injure.
“The extremely violent nature of the crimes allegedly committed by Bhadreshkumar Patel earned him a place on the FBI’s Top Ten List,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson.
Reportedly, Patel’s visa had expired a month before the incident and his wife wanted to move back to India, which Patel opposed. During the fateful night, the couple had an altercation in the kitchen of a donut shop located at 7567 Arundel Mills Boulevard, Hanover, where the couple worked the night shift. A video recording shows the couple going to the back racks of the kitchen. A few moments later, Patel is seen coming back in the picture, but alone.
Patel then walked to his apartment, which he shared with the victim, and collected some items and cash in a backpack. The accused took a cab to a hotel in New Jersey near Newark Liberty International Airport. He checked-in at about 3 a.m. and left the hotel at 10 a.m. for Newark Penn Station. That is his last moment in knowledge of the FBI.
“The valuable assistance of the public cannot be overstated, as shown by the ongoing success locating fugitives placed on the Top Ten list. The ongoing efforts of our investigators, coupled with the public’s assistance, will lead to the capture of Bhadreshkumar Patel. We will never forget and will not rest until he is located, captured, and brought to justice,” said Special Agent Johnson.
The District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County issued an arrest warrant on April 13, 2015. Within a week, on April 20, 2015, the US District Court, District of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, issued a federal arrest warrant.
The investigating officers suspect that Patel has relatives in the US, and might have escaped to Canada to return to India. He has ties to New Jersey, Kentucky, Georgia, Illinois, and India, the official statement elaborates.
As per official records, Patel is described as below:
Name: Bhadreshkumar C. Patel
Date of birth: May 15, 1990
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 165 pounds
Place of birth: Kantrodi Ta Viramgam, Gujarat, India
Employment: Employee of donut shop
FBI has announced $100,000 reward on his head. Public can contact the investigators by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or online at tips.fbi.gov. People calling from outside the United States should contact their nearest US Embassy or Consulate. FBI has also warned that public should not confront Patel on their own as he is “extremely” dangerous and might be armed.