Vijaykumar Thakorbhai “Kumer” PATEL

- 2017

• Name	Vijaykumar Thakorbhai “Kumer” PATEL  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  Gender	Male
  HIST	Sumter store employee killed in alleged armed robbery Posted Sunday, November 26, 2017 2:00 am FROM STAFF REPORTS Authorities are working to identify two men who allegedly shot and killed a store employee during an armed robbery at Save- Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue on Friday night. The two men - both armed and wearing masks - entered the store at 6:59 p.m., and one or both of the men fired handguns in the direction of the employee before fleeing the store in an unknown direction, states a news release from Sumter Police Department. The employee died as a result of gunshot wounds. The coroner's office was notified and has made contact with the victim's family. An autopsy has been scheduled. It was unclear if anything had been taken from the store as of Saturday morning according to the on-call public information officer with Sumter Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to call Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700. Information also can be given anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. A cash reward may be available for tips leading to an arrest. 'He was our support system' — Slain Sumter store owner's daughter, friend pleads for community's help in finding suspects Two men suspected of homicide on Black Friday at large Flowers rest at the door to Vijaykumar "Kumar" Thakorbhai Patel's store on Manning Avenue Monday. Patel was shot to death by two masked men Friday night inside. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Monday, November 27, 2017 5:33 pm HOW CAN YOU HELP? The Sumter Police Department is offering a $5,000 reward to information that leads to an arrest. Anyone who saw anything unusual Friday night or over the weekend in the area of the crime is asked to call (803) 436-2700. Anonymous tips can be given by calling 1-888-CRIME-SC. BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM Chains still wrapped around the door handles to Save-Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue on Monday, days after its owner, once a beloved community member who would always help a neighbor in need, became a homicide victim within his own business's walls. By Monday morning, flowers had been placed on the ground in front of the doors, fluttering in the wind more easily than the lock and links hanging above. The lottery neon sign still flickered in the window. Two unidentified men suspected of shooting Vijaykumar “Kumar” Thakorbhai Patel in a “senseless act” without a known motive on Friday night remain at large, and Sumter Police Department investigators, a fellow business owner and Patel’s daughter are pleading for the community’s help in finding them. “Two black males ordered people to the ground and opened fire, and they struck [Patel] several times,” Sumter Police Department Capt. Angela Rabon said. “No commands, no requests that we know of.” Rabon said this type of stranger-to-stranger homicide is rare in the community, which is just south of downtown Sumter where South Main Street turns into Manning Avenue. “It’s a close-knit community. Everyone there is pretty upset,” she said. Patel opened the store in spring 2010. Rabon said the other people in the store at the time of the shooting — she would not disclose how many witnesses there were — could not provide a description of the suspects’ clothing, vehicle or other physical features except that they were wearing masks over their faces and were armed with black semi-automatic handguns. The store has been closed since the incident. “He opened the day after Thanksgiving to help the people in the community,” said Capt. Jeffery Jackson, who oversees the city’s patrol division. “He probably didn’t have to open, but he did.” The department is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest — $5,000 is “a little more than normal” because of the “nature of” the crime. “It’s a random act of violence that no one expected,” Jackson said. He said the closest actual grocery store — Save-Mart is more of a mom-and-pop one-stop convenience store — is “farther than a lot of people in this community can probably walk to.” Convenience was not the only reason people went to Patel’s store. “He was a very good guy to his neighbors. If you didn’t have all the money to get something, he wouldn’t turn you away. He’d let you owe him,” said Kenny Black, owner of Kenny’s Car Wash on the corner of Broad and Purdy streets. “Now, it’s a lot harder for them just to go get something they need or to go get one Pepsi. It hurts the community in more ways than one.” He said he wants the “bad guys who did it” to be caught so his family can grieve and so neighbors and business owners can stop feeling scared. If it happened to Patel, Black said, “it could happen to me. It could happen to anybody.” Talking about a senseless act like this shooting may be hard, but Black said he wants to do anything to help get the word out. “If I say something, maybe someone else will say something, and maybe that will help,” he said. Patel’s daughter wants the same justice for her father as Black wants — to find the men who took their father, their friend away from them. “He’s been working here at our store for eight years, and he never had any issues,” she said through tears that were not always held down on Monday at the police department. “He was being always to help any poor people he could. Any money, any help. “He’s been in the U.S. for many years, and he would always tell me and my brother America is the safest country. And I don’t know how did this happen out of nowhere.” She asked not to be named but said she wanted to talk to media and police to help her father. “Since he’s been serving this community, if anyone saw anything … I want to find that person. That’s all I’m asking for,” she said. “My mom is going through a lot right now. She didn’t expect a call right now like this. Neither did I. Neither did my brother. “He was our support system. He always told us not to worry.” Two teens arrested in shooting death of Sumter store owner Police chief credits media, community effort leading to tip Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III updates media on Thursday of the case involving the murder and attempted armed robbery that took the life of Vijaykumar Patel on Nov. 24. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Thursday, November 30, 2017 1:19 pm BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM The family of the man who was gunned down inside his own business' walls last week may find some solace on the day they bury their father, husband and staple of the Manning Avenue community, with Sumter Police Department's announcement of two arrests in the case. Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III on Thursday at a news conference credited the media, his officers' efforts in distributing fliers and community word of mouth for a Crime Stoppers tip that led to the arrest of Sincere Dinkins, 17, of Walsh Grove and Larenzo Hagood, 19, of Curtis Drive in the killing of Vijaykumar Patel at Save-Mart Grocery on Nov. 24. "He was a father. He was a husband. He was a critical part of our community. He was a beloved business owner in the community that is still a neighborhood environment, a neighborhood store," Roark said. "Many individuals came to us and told us and described to us how, oftentimes, Mr. Patel would allow them credit or would take a check in advance of the deposit going in so they could receive the things they needed in order to survive." Both suspects are charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, criminal conspiracy and two counts of kidnapping, Roark said. "Because of our reaching out to the community, but I think more importantly because of the publicity we received of this - for lack of a better term - of this terrible event, this very violent act and crime Crime Stoppers received [an] overwhelming amount of support and information from the community," Roark said. Dinkins and Hagood are accused of entering the store just before 7 p.m. that Friday, donning masks and armed with handguns, and reportedly ordering two customers - warranting the kidnapping charge - to the ground before at least one of them began firing. Law enforcement and EMS found Patel unresponsive with several apparent gunshot wounds to the chest, according to an incident report. He was pronounced dead at the business he had run for at least seven years. The customers - two females who told officers, according to the report, they had stopped by the store to buy "a drink and something to eat" - were not injured. Both suspects have prior juvenile records that involved violent crimes, Roark said. He said it is not being released whether it is thought one or both fired shots that struck Patel. There are no other suspects expected to be detained "at this time." They are being held in Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, pending bond. Third Judicial Circuit Solicitor Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III said all the information and evidence has been passed over to his office, where it will be analyzed and studied to aim for a "speedy" conclusion. "Getting the news out into the community so that everyone knew that we were looking to close the case quickly," he said, was a key part to the initial investigation, "and I think we've done a fine job." Roark said this type of random shooting was unprovoked, isolated and rare in the community where many people must walk to receive essential items and that Patel's store is the only access to those items within a normal walking distance. "This is the individual we need to remember," Roark said. "This is the person we need to continue to support - and the family - as we continue to go on in the coming days." He said the city police department has had "a lot of good luck" in using Crime Stoppers. "Most of the people - the high majority of the people - that live within the city of Sumter are law-abiding citizens," Roark said. "What we strive to do as a community and as a law enforcement agency, we strive to improve the quality of life for all citizens. To have a safe environment. What we cannot predict with any degree of certainty is the human factor, especially when it's a person-on-person crime." The family, he said, is relieved an arrest has been made. "That begins the closure," he said, "but they have a long way to go because their father was taken so quickly and so senselessly." Related 'He was our support system' — Slain Sumter store owner's daughter, friend pleads for community's help in finding suspects Death penalty possible in Sumter store owner's murder case Two teens charged in killing, kidnapping at Manning Ave. Save-Mart Posted Sunday, December 3, 2017 2:00 am Sincere Dinkins during his first appearance bond hearing Friday. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ADRIENNE@THEITEM.COM The death penalty, a life sentence or a sentence of more than 100 years are three possibilities facing the two teens accused of killing the owner of Save-Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue on Nov. 24. Larenzo Hagood, 19, and Sincere Dinkins, 17, both of Sumter, are each charged with criminal conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, attempted armed robbery, two counts of kidnapping and murder. A murder conviction could result in a death sentence or mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison. Other possible sentencing includes: five years for criminal conspiracy, five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime, 10 to 30 years for attempted armed robbery and 30 years for each count of kidnapping. If convicted of all six charges without receiving a death sentence, Hagood and Dinkins could each be sentenced to a minimum of 110 years in prison. The two men allegedly entered the store just before 7 p.m. that Friday and ordered two customers to the ground before at least one of the suspects opened fire, reportedly shooting store owner Vijaykumar Patel in the chest multiple times, according to Sumter Police Department. Both men were reportedly wearing masks during the incident. First appearance hearings for Hagood and Dinkins were held on Friday at Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, after they were arrested thanks to a tip to Crime Stoppers. In the small courtroom of the detention center, Hagood sat across from Patel's daughter on the opposite side of the room - his face showing no emotion - while waiting for his hearing to start. Dinkins made a much shorter appearance in the courtroom, with the same lack of emotion. Patel's family sat together during both hearings next to the two women who were in the store the night the beloved father and store owner was killed. Despite the suspects being handcuffed, at least one of the victims was afraid for the men to see her and was comforted by a victim's advocate. The only words Hagood and Dinkins spoke during their hearings were affirmations to the questions asked by magistrate judge Larry Blanding, who set bond hearings for both suspects at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 12 in general sessions court at Sumter County Judicial Center. After the hearings, Patel's daughter - surrounded by her fiance, brother and future father-in-law - thanked Sumter Police Department for its "wonder job" during the investigation. And the community is the only reason both suspects were arrested, she said. The family thought it would take months or years to catch the suspects, but thanks to the community, the search only lasted five days, she said. It's unbelievable that the young suspects could carry weapons and do what they did, she said. "I'm sure they feel guilty," she said," they should." She said her father - described as the family's No. 1 support system - was important to the community that he served. "I'm sure my father is at peace," she said. Patel's son - who traveled to Sumter from India after hearing about his father's death - said the people of the Manning Avenue area accepted his family although they come from a different country and culture. Everyone came together, she said, as humans. Two teens arrested in shooting death of Sumter store owner Police chief credits media, community effort leading to tip Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III updates media on Thursday of the case involving the murder and attempted armed robbery that took the life of Vijaykumar Patel on Nov. 24. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Thursday, November 30, 2017 1:19 pm BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM The family of the man who was gunned down inside his own business' walls last week may find some solace on the day they bury their father, husband and staple of the Manning Avenue community, with Sumter Police Department's announcement of two arrests in the case. Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III on Thursday at a news conference credited the media, his officers' efforts in distributing fliers and community word of mouth for a Crime Stoppers tip that led to the arrest of Sincere Dinkins, 17, of Walsh Grove and Larenzo Hagood, 19, of Curtis Drive in the killing of Vijaykumar Patel at Save-Mart Grocery on Nov. 24. "He was a father. He was a husband. He was a critical part of our community. He was a beloved business owner in the community that is still a neighborhood environment, a neighborhood store," Roark said. "Many individuals came to us and told us and described to us how, oftentimes, Mr. Patel would allow them credit or would take a check in advance of the deposit going in so they could receive the things they needed in order to survive." Both suspects are charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, criminal conspiracy and two counts of kidnapping, Roark said. "Because of our reaching out to the community, but I think more importantly because of the publicity we received of this - for lack of a better term - of this terrible event, this very violent act and crime Crime Stoppers received [an] overwhelming amount of support and information from the community," Roark said. Dinkins and Hagood are accused of entering the store just before 7 p.m. that Friday, donning masks and armed with handguns, and reportedly ordering two customers - warranting the kidnapping charge - to the ground before at least one of them began firing. Law enforcement and EMS found Patel unresponsive with several apparent gunshot wounds to the chest, according to an incident report. He was pronounced dead at the business he had run for at least seven years. The customers - two females who told officers, according to the report, they had stopped by the store to buy "a drink and something to eat" - were not injured. Both suspects have prior juvenile records that involved violent crimes, Roark said. He said it is not being released whether it is thought one or both fired shots that struck Patel. There are no other suspects expected to be detained "at this time." They are being held in Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, pending bond. Third Judicial Circuit Solicitor Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III said all the information and evidence has been passed over to his office, where it will be analyzed and studied to aim for a "speedy" conclusion. "Getting the news out into the community so that everyone knew that we were looking to close the case quickly," he said, was a key part to the initial investigation, "and I think we've done a fine job." Roark said this type of random shooting was unprovoked, isolated and rare in the community where many people must walk to receive essential items and that Patel's store is the only access to those items within a normal walking distance. "This is the individual we need to remember," Roark said. "This is the person we need to continue to support - and the family - as we continue to go on in the coming days." He said the city police department has had "a lot of good luck" in using Crime Stoppers. "Most of the people - the high majority of the people - that live within the city of Sumter are law-abiding citizens," Roark said. "What we strive to do as a community and as a law enforcement agency, we strive to improve the quality of life for all citizens. To have a safe environment. What we cannot predict with any degree of certainty is the human factor, especially when it's a person-on-person crime." The family, he said, is relieved an arrest has been made. "That begins the closure," he said, "but they have a long way to go because their father was taken so quickly and so senselessly." Related 'He was our support system' — Slain Sumter store owner's daughter, friend pleads for community's help in finding suspects Trial begins in 2017 death of Sumter Save-Mart owner Patel Death penalty possible if suspect convicted of murder Sincere Dinkins listens to the judge during his initial bond hearing in December 2017, standing in front of Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III, who is prosecuting the case. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Wednesday, July 17, 2019 6:00 am BY KAYLA ROBINS kayla@theitem.com The trial for one of the men who have been accused in the 2017 fatal shooting of a Manning Avenue store owner started Tuesday. Sincere Dinkins was 17 years old when he was arrested in November 2017. He was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, attempted armed robbery and two counts of kidnapping. Two masked men walked into the Save-Mart Grocery on Nov. 24, 2017, and ordered two women in the store to the ground. By the time they left, store owner Vijaykumar Patel had been shot in the chest multiple times, according to the Sumter Police Department and previous reports. In South Carolina, 17-year-olds can be charged as adults. If convicted on the murder charge, sentences could include the death penalty or a mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison. Other possible sentences if convicted on the other charges include five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime, 10-30 years for attempted armed robbery and 30 years for each kidnapping charge. Patel opened the store in spring 2010 and was a source of food and other items for those who live in the area whose only transportation is by foot. It has remained closed since the shooting. Larenzo Hagood, who was 19 at the time, was also arrested and issued the same charges as Dinkins. Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III is prosecuting the case. His office was not immediately aware of Hagood's case status. Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark has previously said both men have prior juvenile records that involved violent crimes. Accomplice gets 20 years in Sumter grocery store owner's murder Hagood pleaded guilty to lesser voluntary manslaughter charge, showed remorse Larenzo Hagood is seen at his initial bond hearing. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Sunday, July 21, 2019 6:00 am BY KAYLA ROBINS kayla@theitem.com The Sumterite who pleaded guilty in the 2017 murder of a store owner in South Sumter will spend the next 20 years in prison. Larenzo Hagood, 21, was sentenced Friday afternoon by active/retired Eighth Circuit Court Judge Thomas L. Hughston Jr. and will concurrently serve 20 years each for a conviction of attempted armed robbery and voluntary manslaughter, five years each for two counts of kidnapping and five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Concurrent sentences are served at the same time, making the total 20 years. He will receive credit for time already served in connection to the case. Hagood was initially charged with murder but accepted the voluntary manslaughter conviction, a lesser charge, in exchange for pleading guilty. Hughston gave the sentence Third Circuit Court Solicitor Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III asked for, which Hagood's public defender, Jack Barnes, also said he accepted. "He's a good kid that made a terrible mistake," Barnes said in courtroom 3A of the Sumter County Judicial Center on Friday. Both Barnes and Finney told the judge Hagood confessed and gave a full, cooperative statement to law enforcement "within the hour" of his arrest. He wanted the murdered man's family to know he was sorry, Barnes said. "He has told me on multiple occasions this is not how he saw his life turning out," Barnes said. On Nov. 24, 2017, Hagood and Sincere Dinkins, also of Sumter, entered the Save-Mart Grocery and attempted to rob the store's owner, Vijaykumar Patel, at gunpoint. They ordered two female customers who were in the store at the time to the ground, warranting the kidnapping charges. A condition of his plea deal was that Hagood testify in Dinkins' trial. His testimony and evidence presented during the trial, which started with jury selection on Monday and ended with guilty verdicts on Wednesday for six out of six charges, the same as Hagood but with the full murder charge and a count of criminal conspiracy, revealed Dinkins shot at Patel until his weapon emptied. "It's a tremendous loss to the community," Finney said of Patel's death. Many former customers - the store has remained shuttered since the shooting - have no form of transportation to food sources other than to walk, and there are a limited number of grocery stores and restaurants in that Manning Avenue area. He said there was an "outpouring of concern from both the family and the community" that provided the Sumter Police Department with information that helped lead to an arrest. Dinkins' sentencing on Thursday was postponed to next month. Finney said a 2015 law now requires sentencing proceedings for those convicted of crimes when they were 17 years or younger to include a hearing that brings in people from the person's school, home and work life to give a "full picture of who he or she is." Hughston will review all documents and circumstances from the case and the sentencing hearing before making a decision. Finney said he asked that Hagood's sentence be only 20 years because of his cooperation, prompt confession, remorse and pledge to continue his education in prison. He already has a GED and has told both his attorney and Finney he wants to learn a trade and "come back a better citizen." Sumter teenager found guilty of murder in Save-Mart Grocery shooting Dinkins guilty on all counts; Hagood pleads guilty, agrees to testify Sincere Dinkins looks behind him in the courtroom before hearing his verdict on Thursday. A jury found him guilty of the murder of Vijaykumar Patel on Nov. 24, 2017. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Thursday, July 18, 2019 6:00 am BY KAYLA ROBINS kayla@theitem.com A Sumter teenager was found guilty Wednesday of murdering a Manning Avenue convenience store owner in 2017. Sincere Dinkins was 17 years old on Nov. 24, 2017, when he and Larenzo Hagood entered the Save-Mart Grocery, ordered two female customers to the ground and attempted to rob Vijaykumar Patel at gunpoint. By the time they fled, Patel had fallen fatally wounded on the ground, multiple bullets shot into his chest. "He was ready to go to the store. He was ready to rob the store," Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" A. Finney III said of Dinkins in his closing arguments Wednesday afternoon, a day and a half after opening statements began in the Sumter County Judicial Center. The 12-person jury of eight women and four men - none of the men were black, which Dinkins is - deliberated for about two hours before handing him six guilty convictions, two counts of kidnapping - related to the two women who were in the store at the time - and one count each of murder, attempted armed robbery, criminal conspiracy and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Hagood, who was 19 at the time of what law enforcement called the "senseless act" that left a father dead and a community relying on limited resources without one more walkable business, initially faced the same charges. He pleaded guilty to all except the conspiracy charge under the agreement he would testify. "Hagood was treated different because he agreed to testify," Finney said, later adding that "he had remorse. He wanted to make it straight." Dinkins, on the other hand, shot until his weapon was empty, Finney said. "He showed no remorse. He showed no kind of 'I want to get this straight,'" he said. Tim Murphy, the defense attorney representing Dinkins, questioned Hagood's credibility in his closing arguments. "Hagood was the only witness who testified my client shot that weapon," Murphy said. " There's reason to question. There's reason to ponder." He reiterated Dinkins had the right to be presumed innocent by the jury, adding that there was "not enough to think he might have done it." Active/Retired Eighth Circuit Court Judge Thomas L. Hughston Jr., a former state representative, is presiding over the trial. Sentencing is expected today.  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  HIST	Sumter store employee killed in alleged armed robbery Posted Sunday, November 26, 2017 2:00 am FROM STAFF REPORTS Authorities are working to identify two men who allegedly shot and killed a store employee during an armed robbery at Save- Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue on Friday night. The two men - both armed and wearing masks - entered the store at 6:59 p.m., and one or both of the men fired handguns in the direction of the employee before fleeing the store in an unknown direction, states a news release from Sumter Police Department. The employee died as a result of gunshot wounds. The coroner's office was notified and has made contact with the victim's family. An autopsy has been scheduled. It was unclear if anything had been taken from the store as of Saturday morning according to the on-call public information officer with Sumter Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to call Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700. Information also can be given anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. A cash reward may be available for tips leading to an arrest. 'He was our support system' — Slain Sumter store owner's daughter, friend pleads for community's help in finding suspects Two men suspected of homicide on Black Friday at large Flowers rest at the door to Vijaykumar "Kumar" Thakorbhai Patel's store on Manning Avenue Monday. Patel was shot to death by two masked men Friday night inside. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Monday, November 27, 2017 5:33 pm HOW CAN YOU HELP? The Sumter Police Department is offering a $5,000 reward to information that leads to an arrest. Anyone who saw anything unusual Friday night or over the weekend in the area of the crime is asked to call (803) 436-2700. Anonymous tips can be given by calling 1-888-CRIME-SC. BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM Chains still wrapped around the door handles to Save-Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue on Monday, days after its owner, once a beloved community member who would always help a neighbor in need, became a homicide victim within his own business's walls. By Monday morning, flowers had been placed on the ground in front of the doors, fluttering in the wind more easily than the lock and links hanging above. The lottery neon sign still flickered in the window. Two unidentified men suspected of shooting Vijaykumar “Kumar” Thakorbhai Patel in a “senseless act” without a known motive on Friday night remain at large, and Sumter Police Department investigators, a fellow business owner and Patel’s daughter are pleading for the community’s help in finding them. “Two black males ordered people to the ground and opened fire, and they struck [Patel] several times,” Sumter Police Department Capt. Angela Rabon said. “No commands, no requests that we know of.” Rabon said this type of stranger-to-stranger homicide is rare in the community, which is just south of downtown Sumter where South Main Street turns into Manning Avenue. “It’s a close-knit community. Everyone there is pretty upset,” she said. Patel opened the store in spring 2010. Rabon said the other people in the store at the time of the shooting — she would not disclose how many witnesses there were — could not provide a description of the suspects’ clothing, vehicle or other physical features except that they were wearing masks over their faces and were armed with black semi-automatic handguns. The store has been closed since the incident. “He opened the day after Thanksgiving to help the people in the community,” said Capt. Jeffery Jackson, who oversees the city’s patrol division. “He probably didn’t have to open, but he did.” The department is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest — $5,000 is “a little more than normal” because of the “nature of” the crime. “It’s a random act of violence that no one expected,” Jackson said. He said the closest actual grocery store — Save-Mart is more of a mom-and-pop one-stop convenience store — is “farther than a lot of people in this community can probably walk to.” Convenience was not the only reason people went to Patel’s store. “He was a very good guy to his neighbors. If you didn’t have all the money to get something, he wouldn’t turn you away. He’d let you owe him,” said Kenny Black, owner of Kenny’s Car Wash on the corner of Broad and Purdy streets. “Now, it’s a lot harder for them just to go get something they need or to go get one Pepsi. It hurts the community in more ways than one.” He said he wants the “bad guys who did it” to be caught so his family can grieve and so neighbors and business owners can stop feeling scared. If it happened to Patel, Black said, “it could happen to me. It could happen to anybody.” Talking about a senseless act like this shooting may be hard, but Black said he wants to do anything to help get the word out. “If I say something, maybe someone else will say something, and maybe that will help,” he said. Patel’s daughter wants the same justice for her father as Black wants — to find the men who took their father, their friend away from them. “He’s been working here at our store for eight years, and he never had any issues,” she said through tears that were not always held down on Monday at the police department. “He was being always to help any poor people he could. Any money, any help. “He’s been in the U.S. for many years, and he would always tell me and my brother America is the safest country. And I don’t know how did this happen out of nowhere.” She asked not to be named but said she wanted to talk to media and police to help her father. “Since he’s been serving this community, if anyone saw anything … I want to find that person. That’s all I’m asking for,” she said. “My mom is going through a lot right now. She didn’t expect a call right now like this. Neither did I. Neither did my brother. “He was our support system. He always told us not to worry.” Two teens arrested in shooting death of Sumter store owner Police chief credits media, community effort leading to tip Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III updates media on Thursday of the case involving the murder and attempted armed robbery that took the life of Vijaykumar Patel on Nov. 24. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Thursday, November 30, 2017 1:19 pm BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM The family of the man who was gunned down inside his own business' walls last week may find some solace on the day they bury their father, husband and staple of the Manning Avenue community, with Sumter Police Department's announcement of two arrests in the case. Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III on Thursday at a news conference credited the media, his officers' efforts in distributing fliers and community word of mouth for a Crime Stoppers tip that led to the arrest of Sincere Dinkins, 17, of Walsh Grove and Larenzo Hagood, 19, of Curtis Drive in the killing of Vijaykumar Patel at Save-Mart Grocery on Nov. 24. "He was a father. He was a husband. He was a critical part of our community. He was a beloved business owner in the community that is still a neighborhood environment, a neighborhood store," Roark said. "Many individuals came to us and told us and described to us how, oftentimes, Mr. Patel would allow them credit or would take a check in advance of the deposit going in so they could receive the things they needed in order to survive." Both suspects are charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, criminal conspiracy and two counts of kidnapping, Roark said. "Because of our reaching out to the community, but I think more importantly because of the publicity we received of this - for lack of a better term - of this terrible event, this very violent act and crime Crime Stoppers received [an] overwhelming amount of support and information from the community," Roark said. Dinkins and Hagood are accused of entering the store just before 7 p.m. that Friday, donning masks and armed with handguns, and reportedly ordering two customers - warranting the kidnapping charge - to the ground before at least one of them began firing. Law enforcement and EMS found Patel unresponsive with several apparent gunshot wounds to the chest, according to an incident report. He was pronounced dead at the business he had run for at least seven years. The customers - two females who told officers, according to the report, they had stopped by the store to buy "a drink and something to eat" - were not injured. Both suspects have prior juvenile records that involved violent crimes, Roark said. He said it is not being released whether it is thought one or both fired shots that struck Patel. There are no other suspects expected to be detained "at this time." They are being held in Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, pending bond. Third Judicial Circuit Solicitor Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III said all the information and evidence has been passed over to his office, where it will be analyzed and studied to aim for a "speedy" conclusion. "Getting the news out into the community so that everyone knew that we were looking to close the case quickly," he said, was a key part to the initial investigation, "and I think we've done a fine job." Roark said this type of random shooting was unprovoked, isolated and rare in the community where many people must walk to receive essential items and that Patel's store is the only access to those items within a normal walking distance. "This is the individual we need to remember," Roark said. "This is the person we need to continue to support - and the family - as we continue to go on in the coming days." He said the city police department has had "a lot of good luck" in using Crime Stoppers. "Most of the people - the high majority of the people - that live within the city of Sumter are law-abiding citizens," Roark said. "What we strive to do as a community and as a law enforcement agency, we strive to improve the quality of life for all citizens. To have a safe environment. What we cannot predict with any degree of certainty is the human factor, especially when it's a person-on-person crime." The family, he said, is relieved an arrest has been made. "That begins the closure," he said, "but they have a long way to go because their father was taken so quickly and so senselessly." Related 'He was our support system' — Slain Sumter store owner's daughter, friend pleads for community's help in finding suspects Death penalty possible in Sumter store owner's murder case Two teens charged in killing, kidnapping at Manning Ave. Save-Mart Posted Sunday, December 3, 2017 2:00 am Sincere Dinkins during his first appearance bond hearing Friday. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ADRIENNE@THEITEM.COM The death penalty, a life sentence or a sentence of more than 100 years are three possibilities facing the two teens accused of killing the owner of Save-Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue on Nov. 24. Larenzo Hagood, 19, and Sincere Dinkins, 17, both of Sumter, are each charged with criminal conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, attempted armed robbery, two counts of kidnapping and murder. A murder conviction could result in a death sentence or mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison. Other possible sentencing includes: five years for criminal conspiracy, five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime, 10 to 30 years for attempted armed robbery and 30 years for each count of kidnapping. If convicted of all six charges without receiving a death sentence, Hagood and Dinkins could each be sentenced to a minimum of 110 years in prison. The two men allegedly entered the store just before 7 p.m. that Friday and ordered two customers to the ground before at least one of the suspects opened fire, reportedly shooting store owner Vijaykumar Patel in the chest multiple times, according to Sumter Police Department. Both men were reportedly wearing masks during the incident. First appearance hearings for Hagood and Dinkins were held on Friday at Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, after they were arrested thanks to a tip to Crime Stoppers. In the small courtroom of the detention center, Hagood sat across from Patel's daughter on the opposite side of the room - his face showing no emotion - while waiting for his hearing to start. Dinkins made a much shorter appearance in the courtroom, with the same lack of emotion. Patel's family sat together during both hearings next to the two women who were in the store the night the beloved father and store owner was killed. Despite the suspects being handcuffed, at least one of the victims was afraid for the men to see her and was comforted by a victim's advocate. The only words Hagood and Dinkins spoke during their hearings were affirmations to the questions asked by magistrate judge Larry Blanding, who set bond hearings for both suspects at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 12 in general sessions court at Sumter County Judicial Center. After the hearings, Patel's daughter - surrounded by her fiance, brother and future father-in-law - thanked Sumter Police Department for its "wonder job" during the investigation. And the community is the only reason both suspects were arrested, she said. The family thought it would take months or years to catch the suspects, but thanks to the community, the search only lasted five days, she said. It's unbelievable that the young suspects could carry weapons and do what they did, she said. "I'm sure they feel guilty," she said," they should." She said her father - described as the family's No. 1 support system - was important to the community that he served. "I'm sure my father is at peace," she said. Patel's son - who traveled to Sumter from India after hearing about his father's death - said the people of the Manning Avenue area accepted his family although they come from a different country and culture. Everyone came together, she said, as humans. Two teens arrested in shooting death of Sumter store owner Police chief credits media, community effort leading to tip Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III updates media on Thursday of the case involving the murder and attempted armed robbery that took the life of Vijaykumar Patel on Nov. 24. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Thursday, November 30, 2017 1:19 pm BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM The family of the man who was gunned down inside his own business' walls last week may find some solace on the day they bury their father, husband and staple of the Manning Avenue community, with Sumter Police Department's announcement of two arrests in the case. Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III on Thursday at a news conference credited the media, his officers' efforts in distributing fliers and community word of mouth for a Crime Stoppers tip that led to the arrest of Sincere Dinkins, 17, of Walsh Grove and Larenzo Hagood, 19, of Curtis Drive in the killing of Vijaykumar Patel at Save-Mart Grocery on Nov. 24. "He was a father. He was a husband. He was a critical part of our community. He was a beloved business owner in the community that is still a neighborhood environment, a neighborhood store," Roark said. "Many individuals came to us and told us and described to us how, oftentimes, Mr. Patel would allow them credit or would take a check in advance of the deposit going in so they could receive the things they needed in order to survive." Both suspects are charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, criminal conspiracy and two counts of kidnapping, Roark said. "Because of our reaching out to the community, but I think more importantly because of the publicity we received of this - for lack of a better term - of this terrible event, this very violent act and crime Crime Stoppers received [an] overwhelming amount of support and information from the community," Roark said. Dinkins and Hagood are accused of entering the store just before 7 p.m. that Friday, donning masks and armed with handguns, and reportedly ordering two customers - warranting the kidnapping charge - to the ground before at least one of them began firing. Law enforcement and EMS found Patel unresponsive with several apparent gunshot wounds to the chest, according to an incident report. He was pronounced dead at the business he had run for at least seven years. The customers - two females who told officers, according to the report, they had stopped by the store to buy "a drink and something to eat" - were not injured. Both suspects have prior juvenile records that involved violent crimes, Roark said. He said it is not being released whether it is thought one or both fired shots that struck Patel. There are no other suspects expected to be detained "at this time." They are being held in Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, pending bond. Third Judicial Circuit Solicitor Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III said all the information and evidence has been passed over to his office, where it will be analyzed and studied to aim for a "speedy" conclusion. "Getting the news out into the community so that everyone knew that we were looking to close the case quickly," he said, was a key part to the initial investigation, "and I think we've done a fine job." Roark said this type of random shooting was unprovoked, isolated and rare in the community where many people must walk to receive essential items and that Patel's store is the only access to those items within a normal walking distance. "This is the individual we need to remember," Roark said. "This is the person we need to continue to support - and the family - as we continue to go on in the coming days." He said the city police department has had "a lot of good luck" in using Crime Stoppers. "Most of the people - the high majority of the people - that live within the city of Sumter are law-abiding citizens," Roark said. "What we strive to do as a community and as a law enforcement agency, we strive to improve the quality of life for all citizens. To have a safe environment. What we cannot predict with any degree of certainty is the human factor, especially when it's a person-on-person crime." The family, he said, is relieved an arrest has been made. "That begins the closure," he said, "but they have a long way to go because their father was taken so quickly and so senselessly." Related 'He was our support system' — Slain Sumter store owner's daughter, friend pleads for community's help in finding suspects Trial begins in 2017 death of Sumter Save-Mart owner Patel Death penalty possible if suspect convicted of murder Sincere Dinkins listens to the judge during his initial bond hearing in December 2017, standing in front of Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III, who is prosecuting the case. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Wednesday, July 17, 2019 6:00 am BY KAYLA ROBINS kayla@theitem.com The trial for one of the men who have been accused in the 2017 fatal shooting of a Manning Avenue store owner started Tuesday. Sincere Dinkins was 17 years old when he was arrested in November 2017. He was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, attempted armed robbery and two counts of kidnapping. Two masked men walked into the Save-Mart Grocery on Nov. 24, 2017, and ordered two women in the store to the ground. By the time they left, store owner Vijaykumar Patel had been shot in the chest multiple times, according to the Sumter Police Department and previous reports. In South Carolina, 17-year-olds can be charged as adults. If convicted on the murder charge, sentences could include the death penalty or a mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison. Other possible sentences if convicted on the other charges include five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime, 10-30 years for attempted armed robbery and 30 years for each kidnapping charge. Patel opened the store in spring 2010 and was a source of food and other items for those who live in the area whose only transportation is by foot. It has remained closed since the shooting. Larenzo Hagood, who was 19 at the time, was also arrested and issued the same charges as Dinkins. Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III is prosecuting the case. His office was not immediately aware of Hagood's case status. Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark has previously said both men have prior juvenile records that involved violent crimes. Accomplice gets 20 years in Sumter grocery store owner's murder Hagood pleaded guilty to lesser voluntary manslaughter charge, showed remorse Larenzo Hagood is seen at his initial bond hearing. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Sunday, July 21, 2019 6:00 am BY KAYLA ROBINS kayla@theitem.com The Sumterite who pleaded guilty in the 2017 murder of a store owner in South Sumter will spend the next 20 years in prison. Larenzo Hagood, 21, was sentenced Friday afternoon by active/retired Eighth Circuit Court Judge Thomas L. Hughston Jr. and will concurrently serve 20 years each for a conviction of attempted armed robbery and voluntary manslaughter, five years each for two counts of kidnapping and five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Concurrent sentences are served at the same time, making the total 20 years. He will receive credit for time already served in connection to the case. Hagood was initially charged with murder but accepted the voluntary manslaughter conviction, a lesser charge, in exchange for pleading guilty. Hughston gave the sentence Third Circuit Court Solicitor Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III asked for, which Hagood's public defender, Jack Barnes, also said he accepted. "He's a good kid that made a terrible mistake," Barnes said in courtroom 3A of the Sumter County Judicial Center on Friday. Both Barnes and Finney told the judge Hagood confessed and gave a full, cooperative statement to law enforcement "within the hour" of his arrest. He wanted the murdered man's family to know he was sorry, Barnes said. "He has told me on multiple occasions this is not how he saw his life turning out," Barnes said. On Nov. 24, 2017, Hagood and Sincere Dinkins, also of Sumter, entered the Save-Mart Grocery and attempted to rob the store's owner, Vijaykumar Patel, at gunpoint. They ordered two female customers who were in the store at the time to the ground, warranting the kidnapping charges. A condition of his plea deal was that Hagood testify in Dinkins' trial. His testimony and evidence presented during the trial, which started with jury selection on Monday and ended with guilty verdicts on Wednesday for six out of six charges, the same as Hagood but with the full murder charge and a count of criminal conspiracy, revealed Dinkins shot at Patel until his weapon emptied. "It's a tremendous loss to the community," Finney said of Patel's death. Many former customers - the store has remained shuttered since the shooting - have no form of transportation to food sources other than to walk, and there are a limited number of grocery stores and restaurants in that Manning Avenue area. He said there was an "outpouring of concern from both the family and the community" that provided the Sumter Police Department with information that helped lead to an arrest. Dinkins' sentencing on Thursday was postponed to next month. Finney said a 2015 law now requires sentencing proceedings for those convicted of crimes when they were 17 years or younger to include a hearing that brings in people from the person's school, home and work life to give a "full picture of who he or she is." Hughston will review all documents and circumstances from the case and the sentencing hearing before making a decision. Finney said he asked that Hagood's sentence be only 20 years because of his cooperation, prompt confession, remorse and pledge to continue his education in prison. He already has a GED and has told both his attorney and Finney he wants to learn a trade and "come back a better citizen." Sumter teenager found guilty of murder in Save-Mart Grocery shooting Dinkins guilty on all counts; Hagood pleads guilty, agrees to testify Sincere Dinkins looks behind him in the courtroom before hearing his verdict on Thursday. A jury found him guilty of the murder of Vijaykumar Patel on Nov. 24, 2017. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Thursday, July 18, 2019 6:00 am BY KAYLA ROBINS kayla@theitem.com A Sumter teenager was found guilty Wednesday of murdering a Manning Avenue convenience store owner in 2017. Sincere Dinkins was 17 years old on Nov. 24, 2017, when he and Larenzo Hagood entered the Save-Mart Grocery, ordered two female customers to the ground and attempted to rob Vijaykumar Patel at gunpoint. By the time they fled, Patel had fallen fatally wounded on the ground, multiple bullets shot into his chest. "He was ready to go to the store. He was ready to rob the store," Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" A. Finney III said of Dinkins in his closing arguments Wednesday afternoon, a day and a half after opening statements began in the Sumter County Judicial Center. The 12-person jury of eight women and four men - none of the men were black, which Dinkins is - deliberated for about two hours before handing him six guilty convictions, two counts of kidnapping - related to the two women who were in the store at the time - and one count each of murder, attempted armed robbery, criminal conspiracy and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Hagood, who was 19 at the time of what law enforcement called the "senseless act" that left a father dead and a community relying on limited resources without one more walkable business, initially faced the same charges. He pleaded guilty to all except the conspiracy charge under the agreement he would testify. "Hagood was treated different because he agreed to testify," Finney said, later adding that "he had remorse. He wanted to make it straight." Dinkins, on the other hand, shot until his weapon was empty, Finney said. "He showed no remorse. He showed no kind of 'I want to get this straight,'" he said. Tim Murphy, the defense attorney representing Dinkins, questioned Hagood's credibility in his closing arguments. "Hagood was the only witness who testified my client shot that weapon," Murphy said. " There's reason to question. There's reason to ponder." He reiterated Dinkins had the right to be presumed innocent by the jury, adding that there was "not enough to think he might have done it." Active/Retired Eighth Circuit Court Judge Thomas L. Hughston Jr., a former state representative, is presiding over the trial. Sentencing is expected today.
  _UID	A9FF353771744023A658B667DAB7500D654E
  _UID	A9FF353771744023A658B667DAB7500D654E
  Death	24 Nov 2017	killed during an armed robbery of his store on Manning Avenue, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina   [1, 2]
  Person ID	I314653	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	14 Nov 2025

  
  

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  [S25540] Store employee killed during alleged armed robbery. [S25541] ‘He was our support system’. [S25542] Two teens arrested in shooting death of Sumter store owner. [S25543] Death penalty possible in Sumter store owner’s murder case. [S25544] Patel. [S26980] Trial begins in 2017 death. [S26998] Accomplice gets 20 years in store owner’s murder. [S27002] Teenager found guilty of murder in store shooting.