An Indian-origin motel owner has been arrested in Springfield, Ohio, after a woman was found held against her will inside the property. 64-year-old Dipak Kumar Patel had no role in keeping a woman captive but cops said Patel suppressed critical information and altered records which delayed the investigation.
Springfield Township Police said they were informed on February 3 that a woman inside Patel’s motel was probably in danger. “Information provided to officers indicated that the female was not free to leave and needed immediate assistance,” police said in a statement. The woman was located on the property, and a man was arrested from the motel. But after police went through the motel records, they found that motel owner Patel withheld “critical information” that would have helped them find the victim faster.
The suspect who kept the woman captive had an active warrant. But motel records were tampered, cops said. Patel was charged Wednesday with obstructing official business and tampering with records and taken to Summit County Jail.
“The Springfield Township Police Department has responded to numerous incidents at this property and we will continue to take enforcement action when individuals or businesses interfere with police operations or place members of our community at risk.
This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Our officers remain committed to proactively addressing ongoing issues, protecting victims, and holding offenders accountable,” the police said in a statement.
In a bodycam footage released by the department, an officer questioned Patel and informed him that he had criminal charges against him, as he had not given proper information to the cops when they visited the property on February 3. Patel defended, said he did not know what was going on with the woman. He also said it (what the cops asked him) slipped out of his mind and the officer said that as the motel owner, he had to remember things.
