A convenience store owner is facing multiple charges of allegedly kidnapping and viciously assaulting a man suspected of stealing vape pens from his store.
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Kaushalkumar Patel,40, was arrested Thursday and charged with kidnapping, second-degree assault, and wanton endangerment following the incident on October 6, 2024. According to the Courier-Journal, the confrontation began at E-Z Super Food Mart in Louisville. Patel reportedly spotted a customer leaving the store without paying for a box of vape pens. The alleged shoplifter fled the scene, leading Patel and others to chase him in a van, local authorities said.
The situation escalated after the suspect stopped in a nearby yard, and Patel allegedly cornered him, pulled down his shorts, and maced him in the anus before forcing him into the van. Authorities added that the group drove the man to a garage near Patel’s business, where he was brutally assaulted. The victim was reportedly punched, kicked, and struck with a wooden object before being shoved back into the van.
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The alleged thief was later dropped off on Lee Street, where his mother took him to a nearby hospital. He reportedly suffered from a concussion, bruising, and required stitching, the outlet reported. Patel was arraigned on Friday, pleading not guilty to the charges, and is being held at the Louisville Metro Detention Center on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on January 24.
