Homeless man arrested in connection with convenience store clerk's death

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A 37-year-old man was arrested Sunday on a manslaughter charge in connection with the death of a convenience store clerk, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said.

Investigators said that on Nov. 13, Timothy Evans got into a fight with a woman and her boyfriend in the parking lot of Pelican Discount Beverages in the Fern Park neighborhood.

Deputies said Pareshkumar Patel ran out of the store to try to break up the fight, but Evans hit and shoved Patel, causing him to fall and hit his head on a sidewalk.

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Patel thought he had a minor bump on his head, so he refused medical treatment and no charges were filed, investigators said.

Three days later, Patel was taken to Sanford's Central Florida Regional Hospital, where he was put into a medically induced coma.

Doctors said Patel had suffered a head injury, a rib injury, internal bleeding and a blood infection. He died Nov. 24.

The medical examiner's office said Patel died from the injuries.

Gaurav Patel, Pareshkumar Patel's son, said his father would often help out Evans, who is homeless.

"He was always nice to them," he said. "If he needed food, he would always give it to him."

Gaurav Patel said his father seemed unconcerned about his condition the night of the incident.

"He just told us he wanted to go home and sleep," he said. "That's all he said. He didn't complain about the other guy. He didn't say anything about him at all."

Nick, a homeless man, who asked Channel 9 to not reveal his last name, said he knows Evans and knew Pareshkumar Patel.

He said he did not like Evans' aggressive nature.

"I didn't like him," he said. "Nobody did. (I) didn't want nothing to do with him."

Nick said Pareshkumar Patel was kind to a fault.

"(He was) just helping out a girl, and it cost him his life," he said.

Longtime customer Abdul Khan said shopping at the store has not been the same since Pareshkumar Patel's death.

"It's like a dream," he said. "One minute, you know somebody. And the next minute, boom -- they are gone."

Community members held a fundraiser to pay for Pareshkumar Patel's funeral expenses.

His wife, Gita Patel, told Channel 9 she must now work two jobs to support her family.

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