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2 Men Sought After Robbing, Wounding St. Pete Deli Owner

News Channel 8 photo by ERIC HAUSMANN

Jay Patel and his wife opened the Star Deli Food Store this morning. Patel's father was shot during the robbery.

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By CHIP OSOWSKI | News Channel 8
and STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 2, 2008

Updated: 12/02/2008 01:51 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - 2 Men Sought After Robbing, Wounding St. Pete Deli Owner
The owner of a convenience store was shot and wounded even though he gave two armed robbers everything in the store's cash register, St. Petersburg police said.

The victim, Narenda Kumar Patel, 53, was in stable condition this morning at Bayfront Medical Center, St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa said.

The thieves have not been identified or arrested, Kajtsa said. St. Petersburg police released a surveillance video of the shooting today.

At about 10:30 p.m. Monday, two men wearing black clothing and ski masks and armed with handguns, walked into the Star Deli Food Store at 2451 Fifth Ave. N., Kajtsa said. One of the men took Patel behind the counter and demanded money while the other kept watch at the door, Kajtsa said.

After Patel emptied the cash register, the gunman with him demanded more money and fired several warning shots, Kajtsa said. When Patel produced no more money, that gunman shot him in the foot, Kajtsa said.

The shooter then ran out and, as he was departing, fired a couple more rounds, striking Patel in the upper body, Kajtsa said. Patel called 911 and gave a vague description of the thieves, Kajtsa said. He also called his nephew, his nephew said. Patel was still standing when officers arrived but then was transported to the hospital.

It was the second time Patel has been shot in the 10 years that he has owned the store, said his son, Jay, who opened the store this morning. The other shooting was in 2002. Jay Patel said his father was holding up well.

Jay Patel was informed what had happened Monday night as he was traveling by airplane to the Tampa Bay area from Philadelphia.

"I was ready to cry," Jay Patel said. "I didn't know what to do.

"I want somebody to catch them before someone else gets injured in the process."

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