Powdersville clerk shot during robbery
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office investigators continue to search for the unidentified black male who apparently shot and killed Mradulaben Patel last Thursday night, during an armed robbery at the BP gas station and convenience store at the interstate exit for Highway 153 in Powdersville.
Mrs. Patel, 59, was found on the floor behind the counter by Michael Wheat, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina when he entered the store to make a purchase. He called 911 and ACSO Lt. Payne responded to the scene first, followed by several deputies and investigators.
Patel had been wounded in the head or face area, and was transported by Pelzer Rescue Squad personnel to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where she later died of her wounds.
Investigators have released two short clips from the store’s surveillance cameras. In one clip, the black male , who wore a soft floppy fisherman’s hat, a white screen printed tee shirt with a large image on the front, dark pants, and tennis shoes with pink laces, asks Patel for some cigars, and actually shows her identification to prove his age for the purchase. As she moves toward the register, he can be seen reaching in his back pocket, just before the video clip ends.
