Arrest made in death of store clerk

FERN PARK, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A suspect has been arrested, after a store clerk died when he was pushed and fell to the ground.

The family of Pareshkumar Patel is still grieving the loss of their husband and father, who died in such a horrific way several months ago, but they also feel a sense of justice, now that someone’s been arrested.

“I'm happy at least my dad got justice,” said the victim’s son, Shubh Patel.  “It's been a slow process.”

Patel is finding relief after an arrest was finally made, almost three months after his father died.  The suspect, Timothy Evans, 37, is now locked up in Seminole County, charged with manslaughter in the death case.

In November, Patel, 52, tried to break up a fight outside the Pelican Discount Beverage Store in Fern Park, where he worked.  The fight started, investigators said, when Evans grabbed a woman. When Patel tried to break it up, witnesses said Evans pushed him. Patel fell, hitting his head and Evans ran from the scene.

At the time, Patel didn’t want to talk to police or go to the hospital.

“He refused to go, because he was really afraid of the hospital and everything,” his son said.

His family convinced him otherwise. According to authorites, he had internal bleeding and serious injuries to his head and ribs. Patel was put in a medically-induced coma and died 11 days after the incident.

“It was tragic on how he died, but he went out in a good way.”

Now, finally able to move forward, Shubh Patel remembers his father with pride.

“Hes’ always helping his customers that come in because that area has lots of homeless and poor people so he's always giving them food and everything. Whenever he got home, I would always talk to him. He was the best.”

Evans is being held in Seminole County Jail on $20,000 bond.