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Deputies Seek Help To ID Man Who Killed Clerk

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By HOWARD ALTMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 22, 2008

The video shows a man in a hoodie sweatshirt with a bandanna across his face walk into the convenience store. In his right hand, held at about belt level, is a silver handgun.

He approaches the counter, raises the gun, wipes it across his mouth, points it at the clerk - who is off screen - and fires.

Then he runs out of camera view before popping back in for about a second.

Deputies say the 22-second video, released Saturday morning by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, shows the man who killed Jashavantal K. Patel, 54, of Winter Haven on Friday.

Deputies are asking anyone with information about the killing to contact them.

About 9:30 a.m. Friday, the man with the gun entered the store at 404 U.S. 17-92 and shot Patel. He then fled, police said.

Investigators said robbery was the motive, but the masked bandit didn't make off with any money.

Five minutes later, a witness flagged down a Polk County deputy and reported the shooting. Detectives are reviewing the surveillance video.

Paramedics took Patel to Heart of Florida Hospital, where he died, said Donna Wood, a sheriff's spokeswoman.

One of Patel's co-workers called the shooting "a senseless crime."

Detectives say that the suspect, described as a black male approximately 6 feet tall, wearing a light-colored hoodie-type shirt and a blue bandanna, was last seen wearing knee-length jean shorts and black sneakers.

"There is a $5,000 reward," Wood said. "Obviously somebody is going to recognize him. He has a bandanna over his face, but people recognize people they know and sometimes folks brag. Someone may know something or may have seen something."

Davenport police are working with the sheriff's office on the investigation.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

Editor Howard Altman can be reached at (813) 259-7629 or haltman@tampatrib.com

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