Florida store owner charged with murder after hitting teenager on e-bike

A Florida convenience store owner has been charged with murder after allegedly using his vehicle to hit a 14-year-old boy riding an e-bike, the New York Post reported. Police stated that 32-year-old Kavan Vishnubhai Patel intentionally struck the teenager because he suspected the boy of attempting to break into his business. KTRE also reported that the store owner chased down and ran over the 14-year-old boy. [1][2]

The victim, identified as Hunter Russey, was discovered unresponsive in a ditch in West Melbourne early on October 13, according to the New York Post. An arrest affidavit indicates that the boy suffered multiple skull fractures several hours after Patel knocked him off his e-bike. [1]

The incident follows previous cases involving business owners confronting suspected criminals, as FTMQ News reported earlier. In an earlier separate incident in Lynnwood, Washington, a jewelry store owner opened fire on masked suspects who drove a pickup truck into his store, causing the suspects to flee without any reported injuries. [4]