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Teen dies after store owner hit him on e-bike, police say
A Florida store owner is facing upgraded charges of second-degree murder following the death of a 14-year-old boy. Kavan Vishnubhai Patel is accused of intentionally driving into the teen's e-bike, causing him to fall, and then leaving the scene without calling 911 because he suspected the teen may have burgled his store.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A 14-year-old Brevard County boy has died after his family took him off life support, and a store owner accused of intentionally hitting him with a car now faces a second-degree murder charge, authorities said.
Hunter Russey died Saturday after suffering severe injuries in the incident. His family also chose to donate his organs, according to Elizabeth Gammon, the attorney representing the family.
Kevan Patel appeared before a judge Monday following his arrest Sunday on the new charge.
Police say store owner followed teen
What they're saying:
According to court documents, Patel told police he received an alert around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday that someone was attempting to break into his store on Wickham Road.
Investigators said Patel drove to the store and saw someone outside. He then followed the person, who was riding an electric bicycle, according to the documents.
Kavan Vishnubhai Patel, the owner the Corner Store on Wickham Road, on charges of aggravated battery and leaving the scene of a crash after allegedly driving his vehicle into a teenager on a e-bike, who was suspected of breaking into his store Credit
Patel allegedly intentionally struck Russey with his car and left him on the side of the road without providing assistance, the documents state.
Police say teen was left in ditch for about an hour
Police said Patel called 911 to report the attempted burglary and provided a description of the person he saw. However, investigators said he did not report that he had struck someone or that the person was lying along the road.
As a result, Russey remained in a ditch for about an hour, according to police.
Gammon said Russey suffered a severed spinal cord and brain injuries.
"This is vigilante justice at this point when you're running people down because you're mad that they did something to your property," Gammon said. "So, you know, it is human life over property. It's pretty serious."
Gammon said the family's loss underscores the severity of the allegations against Patel.
"You got angry, but that is not the way that you handle it by using a dangerous weapon to run down a 14-year-old boy," she said. "His life is now over."
Family chooses organ donation
After the family decided to take Russey off life support, they chose to donate his organs. Gammon said the decision was difficult but offered some comfort in the possibility that others could be helped.
She said the family intends to pursue the case through both criminal and civil proceedings.
Attorney has not responded to request for comment
The other side:
Patel's attorney was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
The criminal case remains ongoing.
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