Husband Sought In Dunkin' Donuts Murder Added To Most Wanted List

HANOVER, MD — Authorities have intensified their efforts to arrest a Hanover husband accused of killing his wife at the Dunkin Donuts in Hanover, where they both worked. On Tuesday the FBI said it has added Bhadreshkumar Patel to its Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list; he reportedly killed his wife, Palak Bhadreskumar Patel, 21, in a back room of the Arundel Mills restaurant on April 12, 2015, while several customers were still in the store.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland has issued a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution against Patel, and police say he was last tracked to the Newark, New Jersey/New York City area. He was last seen at a hotel in Newark on April 13, police said. SIGN UP: Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

The FBI has increased a reward for information leading to Patel's arrest to $100,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland has issued a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution for Patel in the murder of his wife. Authorities believe Patel, 26, killed Palak in a back room just before midnight on April 12. Patel was born in India and was in the United States legally, but his VISA expired in March 2015.

After leaving the doughnut shop, Patel walked across the street to the apartment he shared with his wife, retrieved a few items and some cash, and then hailed a taxi. The cab driver took him to a hotel in New Jersey near Newark Liberty International Airport. He checked in about 3 a.m. with no bags, just the clothes on his back. He checked out around 10 a.m., and took a hotel shuttle to Newark Penn Station. That’s the last anyone has seen of him, the FBI says.

“The extremely violent nature of the crimes allegedly committed by Bhadreshkumar Patel earned him a place on the FBI’s Top Ten List,” said Gordon B. Johnson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “The valuable assistance of the public cannot be overstated, as shown by the ongoing success locating fugitives placed on the Top Ten list. The ongoing efforts of our investigators, coupled with the public’s assistance, will lead to the capture of Bhadreshkumar Patel. We will never forget, and will not rest until he is located, captured and brought to justice.”

Patel should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, the FBI says. If you have any information about Patel or his whereabouts, you are asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Investigators believe Palak Patel wanted to return to India — their visas had expired the month before — and her husband was against the idea. Agents say Patel could be with distant relatives in the U.S. or that he could have fled to Canada to return to India. Patel has ties to New Jersey, Kentucky, Georgia, Illinois, and India.

“Palak Patel was murdered in a depraved act of domestic violence,” said Tim Altomare, chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department. “Numerous and overwhelming efforts have been made in attempts to locate Bhadreshkumar and none of the efforts to date have been met with success. … In cooperation with the FBI the Anne Arundel County Police believe we will certainly locate Bhadreshkumar and provide justice for Palak that her family desperately seeks in order to find closure.”

Timeline of Events

Customers at the restaurant called police April 12, 2015, to report there were no employees inside the business at 7657 Arundel Mills Boulevard in Hanover. When an officer checked the restaurant he found a woman laying in the kitchen area with severe injuries; she was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

The dead woman was identified as Palak Bhadreskumar Patel, 21, of the 1600 block of Cheston Lane in Hanover.

The victim’s husband, Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, who is also an employee of that Dunkin’ Donuts location, was named a suspect in his wife’s death. Investigators say Patel killed his wife by stabbing her multiple times with an object, then fled the business.

SEE ALSO: Hunt Continues for Man Suspected of Killing Wife at Dunkin’ Donuts

An arrest warrant issued for Patel charges him with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and dangerous weapon with intent to injure. Bhadreshkumar Patel took his passport, issued in India, from his home on April 13, WUSA TV reports.

A taxi driver told police she picked up Patel near the Dunkin Donuts and drove him to a hotel near the Newark International Airport, according to police.

Police say Patel is considered dangerous and they urge anyone with information to call homicide Detective Kelly Harding at 410-222-4743. Callers may remain anonymous by contacting the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers.

»Photos of Palak Patel, left, and Bhadreshkumar Patel, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police