FORT PIERCE — After hugging friends and family as a panel was removed from the front door, Neha Patel nervously walked into A & M Discount Beverages at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning and took her place behind the counter, the same place where her husband, Parag C. Patel, was killed during a Sept. 4 armed robbery.

But the counter in the reopened store now is topped with thick, bullet-proof glass, one of the safety measures the Patel family installed at the suggestion of Fort Pierce police.

“I’m a little nervous,” Neha Patel said from behind the glass. “But I feel safe. There, for a while, I didn’t think I was going to make it; but I got so much support from my friends and family and customers that I decided to reopen the store.”

Police have arrested Donald “DJ” Isaiah, 24, and Anthony “Rude Boy” Symonette, 21, both of Fort Piece, whom they say were two of three gunmen who entered the store at Okeechobee Road and Georgia Avenue and shot Parag Patel as they approached the counter.

“We hope we can get the third guy soon,” Detective Dave Cuti said shortly after walking into the store with Neha Patel to go over several security improvements. “We’re still looking hard for him, and we still could use the public’s help with information.”

Police also have arrested Mahogany Alexander, 29, of Fort Pierce, who they say drove the three gunmen to and from the store, and Deondravious St. Fleur, 23, of Fort Pierce, who was charged as an accessory after the fact to murder for allegedly driving the gunmen to Port St. Lucie, then to Stuart, where they rented a car after the robbery.

“It’s a good thing that (Neha Patel) is reopening the store,” Cuti said. “It shows that the family is not going to let this tragedy keep them from getting on with their lives.”

In another recommendation made by police, Neha Patel said there will always be at least two or three people working at the store.

Arthur Hills, who lives around the corner on 12th Street, was the reopened store’s first customer.

“I’m glad to see them here,” Hills said, sipping on the bottle of iced tea he’d just bought. “They’re really nice people, and I know they’ve got a family to support. It’s unfortunate that such a tragedy happened to them. I hope God’s with them and keeps them safe.”

Anyone with information about the Patel shooting should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 273-TIPS (8477) or Cuti at the Fort Pierce Police Department, (772) 468-1805, ext. 5285. Callers may remain anonymous.

Tyler Treadway

Tags: arrest, business, convenience store, death, patel, police

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 am and is filed under Crime, Fort Pierce, Treasure Coast business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.