Jackson: A man, accused of murdering an Indian-origin trader Suresh Patel (56), inside his liquor store in Jackson, Tennessee, USA, on August 20, has been arrested after a high-speed chase.
The police said that Corey Houge was apprehended by the Jackson police following a dramatic car chase on the afternoon of August 23.
The chase ended after Houge wrecked his sedan outside a Burger King outlet on Christmasville Road, nearly 2.5 km from the crime scene on Ridgecrest Road, according to a Jackson police release on Facebook.
The accused allegedly attempted to escape through the back door of the restaurant and carjack a customer in the parking lot before officers caught him.
He faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Investigators also recovered key evidence from his vehicle, including a firearm, clothes, and a mask consistent with the attire worn during the crime, the release said, as reported by The Indian Express.
Working alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Jackson police gathered surveillance video from nearby businesses and residential properties, after the murder.
“Utilizing the recovered video collected and Flock (Automated License Plate Reader) cameras, a Buick Lucerne was identified as a potential suspect vehicle. During the course of the investigation, Corey Houge was developed as a potential suspect. On Sunday, August 23, just after 1.30 pm, investigators with the Jackson Police Department, FBI, and ATF located Corey Houge operating his Buick Lucerne… The officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Houge on a previous outstanding warrant, at which time Houge fled from pursuing officers at a high rate of speed,” the police said.
Patel, a native of the Akhaj village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, was working at his store, Ridgecrest Cellars Wine and Spirits, on the night of August 20 when a masked gunman entered.
“The suspect demanded money from the three employees working at the business,” the Jackson police said in the statement. “After the employees turned the money over to the gunman, the suspect shot Suresh Patel multiple times and fled the business.”
Patel’s 19-year-old daughter was present in the store at the time of the incident, sources from his home village told the newspaper.
Having migrated to the US nearly 30 years ago, Patel previously operated a liquor store in Chicago and had taken over Ridgecrest Cellars in Jackson City just a week before the shooting. He was the youngest of six brothers, all settled in the US.