Arrest in Death of Dunkin' Donuts Owner

Suspect was known to the victim

Police arrested a suspect in the death of the owner of a new Dunkin' Donuts in Fairfax County, Va.

Bharat Patel, 40, was found dead early Saturday outside his apartment in the 1100 block of Winterthur Lane in Reston.

Police went to the area after reports of a fight but found nothing. Patel was reported missing an hour later, and his body was found not long after, near a transformer in the apartment complex parking lot. An autopsy revealed he died of blunt force trauma to the upper body.

Detectives arrested 20-year-old Abir Ali about noon Thursday following a search of his Prince George's County, Md., home. He is being held by the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office.

Patel was originally from India. The Dunkin' Donuts he co-owned had opened four days earlier. He and his wife had both worked at the shop until closing Friday night. When she went into their apartment, he stayed outside to talk to someone.

Ali was known to the Patels. He helped them with the opening of the Dunkin' Donuts.

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