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$20,000 Reward Offered For Tip In Polk Slayings

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 11, 2007

Updated: 12/11/2007 04:39 pm

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the killings of two convenience store employees.

Pravinkumar Patel

Pravinkumar Patel, 33, and Dashrath Patel, 50, were killed execution-style Friday night by an unknown assailant who attempted to rob the BP store and gas station where they were working, at the intersection of Interstate 4 and County Road 557.

The two men were changing numbers on the gas price sign outside the store when a man ran up to them and shot them both in the head at close range.

The clerk inside survived when the killer was unable to break in.

Funeral services for the Patels have been scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Heath Funeral Chapel in Lakeland, family members said.

Dashrath Patel

The store remained closed today, though a group of men who described themselves as family members stood outside talking.

They referred questions about the victims, both of whom were recent immigrants from India, to the store's owner, who wasn't available.

Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call Detective Ivan Navarro at (863) 287-8313 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

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