From Law & Crime · · 2m
Store owner mowed down 14-year-old on e-bike with car
Florida store owner charged with second-degree murder after striking teen on e-bike and leaving him to die.
In brief
Florida store owner charged with second-degree murder after striking teen on e-bike and leaving him to die. Florida store owner Kavan Vishnubhai Patel admitted to striking 14-year-old Hunter Russey with his car after believing the teen tried to burglarize his store, leading to Russey's death. Originally reported by…
Store owner charged with murder
Kavan Vishnubhai Patel, 32, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Hunter Russey.
Cops respond to burglary report
West Melbourne police responded around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday to the Corner Store on Wickham Road for a possible burglary in progress.
Store owner claims burglary
Patel told officers he received a report from his alert company about a break-in and saw on video that the front glass door was busted.
Store owner sees suspect
Patel drove to the store and saw the suspect, who fled on an e-bike, before losing sight of him.
Cops find victim on road
Officers found Russey lying on the road after being struck by a vehicle not far from the store.
Video captures impact
Video captured audio of a vehicle striking the victim followed by a mailbox and trash cans.
Store owner's car damaged
Back at the store, cops noticed Patel's vehicle had front-end damage.
Store owner admits guilt
Confronted with the information, Patel allegedly fessed up to tracking the boy down and striking him with his vehicle.
Store owner's motive
Patel said he knew he should have contacted police rather than hitting the teen but was 'angry,' officers wrote.
Victim suffers severe injuries
Russey suffered multiple injuries, including multiple skull fractures.
Family takes victim off life support
West Melbourne police announced Sunday that Russey's family took him off life support and he died late Saturday.
Store owner re-arrested
Patel was originally charged with aggravated battery and leaving the scene of an accident with great bodily harm but was re-arrested Sunday on the second-degree murder charge.
Police offer condolences
The West Melbourne Police Department offered condolences to Hunter's family and friends during this extremely difficult time.
Case status update
Police will continue working on the case and provide prosecutors with evidence they need to prosecute Patel.
The headline
Florida store owner Kavan Vishnubhai Patel admitted to striking 14-year-old Hunter Russey with his car after believing the teen tried to burglarize his store, leading to Russey's death.
