Man charged with manslaughter after store clerk dies of injuries, deputies say

Good Samaritan fell attempting to break up fight, witnesses say

FERN PARK, Fla. – A man faces a manslaughter charge for the November death of a Fern Park store clerk who fell after attempting to break up a fight outside his store, according to officials with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

Paresh Patel, 52, was working Nov. 13 at Pelican Discount Beverages on Oxford Road when he told deputies he saw the suspect, Timothy Evans, 36, come up to a woman and grab her side. Evans and the woman began to argue when Patel attempted to intervene, according to the report.

The woman told deputies she did not want Evans to touch her and they do not have a relationship.

Evans pushed Paresh Patel to the ground causing him to hit his head on the concrete, deputies said. After the incident, Patel said he didn't want to pursue charges and was fine, according to the report.

Deputies said Evans fled the scene before they arrived.

Customers at the Fern Park store Monday said Patel never deserved this.

"Its just sad. He was just a nice guy," said customer Abdul Kahn. 

Paresh Patel

Two days after attempting to break up the fight. Patel's wife called the Sheriff's Office to report that Patel was hospitalized and in a coma because of his head injury. She also said due to the seriousness of his injuries she wanted to pursue charges against Evans.

"He didn't want to go to the hospital at the time," the owner of the store told News 6 in November. "His wife took him to the hospital later on. He couldn't stop bleeding from the wound."

Patel died Thanksgiving week, friends and family told News 6. Gita Patel, said her husband never wanted to press charges.

"He’s a good man and he takes care of everybody," said Gita Patel said.

She said before he was attacked, her husband was trying to help Evans. "He gave him sometimes food and I don’t know why this guy would do it," she said.
 
Evans was arrested up last month in Orange County on a separate charge and brought to Seminole County over the weekend where he was charged with manslaughter. He appeared before a judge Monday afternoon. His bail was set at $20,000.
 


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