The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has raised the reward to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, one of the fugitives on its 10 Most Wanted list.
Patel, an Indian citizen, was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list on April 18, 2017 after he killed his wife, 21-year-old Palak Patel, at a Dunkin’ Donuts store in Hanover, Maryland on April 12, 2015. He was 24 at the time, and his wife was 21. The couple were working the night shift at the store when the attack occurred.According to the FBI, Patel stabbed Palak multiple times in a back room of the store shortly before midnight.
He then fled the scene immediately after that.After leaving the cake shop, Patel went to the apartment he shared with his wife, took some personal items and cash, then took a taxi. The driver took him to a hotel near Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. He arrived early in the morning, wearing only the clothes he had on.Later that morning, Patel left the hotel and was seen at Newark Penn Station.
This remains his last confirmed sighting and no confirmed sighting has been seen since.The FBI said Patel should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Investigators believe he may have contacts in Canada, India or several US states, including New Jersey, Georgia, Illinois and Kentucky.“We hope this $1 million reward will bring more attention to our tireless search for Bhadreshkumar Patel and lead to information we need to bring justice for Palak Patel,” FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Ball said.“The increased reward reflects the seriousness of Patel’s crime and all the cases on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list,” the agent added.The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List is a long-standing law enforcement initiative aimed at enlisting the public’s assistance in locating dangerous fugitives. Since its establishment in 1950, many fugitives have been arrested based on tips from citizens.Anyone with information about Patel’s whereabouts should contact the FBI through its tip line or through its official website.
The authorities asked the public not to try to arrest him themselves.Bhadreshkumar Patel was born on May 15, 1990 in Kantrodi Ta Viramgam, Gujarat, India. He is an Indian national with brown hair and brown eyes, stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds. Patel worked at a donut shop before becoming a fugitive.