Police said the 14-year-old was critically injured and remained along a roadside for nearly an hour before officers found him.
WEST MELBOURNE, FL — A Brevard County store owner was arrested Tuesday after police said he intentionally struck a 14-year-old boy riding an electric bicycle while pursuing him after a suspected break-in, then returned to his business without reporting the collision.
Kavan Vishnubhai Patel, 32, faces charges of aggravated battery and leaving the scene of a crash involving great bodily injury, according to the West Melbourne Police Department. Police said the teenager was taken to a hospital in critical condition after an officer found him along the roadway. Patel was being held without bond at the Brevard County Jail following his arrest.
Officers were sent to the Corner Store at 1100 S. Wickham Road at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday after a possible burglary was reported. Police said Patel told responding officers that his alarm company had notified him of activity at the business and that surveillance footage showed the front glass door had been broken. He reported seeing a male in a light-colored hoodie leave the area on an electric bicycle.
Officers from West Melbourne and other area law enforcement agencies searched for the person described by Patel. About an hour after the initial incident, an officer located a 14-year-old lying along the roadside. Police said the boy appeared to have been struck by a vehicle and was critically injured. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.
Investigators later concluded that Patel had followed the teenager in his vehicle and intentionally struck the bicycle, according to police and reporting based on the arrest affidavit. Investigators said Patel then returned to the store without stopping to provide aid or telling responding officers that he had been involved in a collision.
Police said Patel disclosed his involvement only after detectives confronted him during the investigation. According to the arrest affidavit cited by local news outlets, Patel acknowledged that he should have contacted law enforcement instead of striking the bicyclist and indicated that he had been angry at the time.
West Melbourne police Lt. Graig Erenstoft told WESH that Patel followed the bicyclist rather than contacting law enforcement and that investigators believe he used his vehicle in an effort to stop him. Video reviewed during the investigation also showed a vehicle associated with Patel at the scene, according to reports based on police records.
Authorities have described the teenager as a suspect in the attempted burglary, but some details surrounding the reported break-in remained unclear Tuesday. FOX 35 reported that authorities had not established publicly whether the teenager actually damaged the store’s door, entered the business or took anything. No criminal case against the juvenile was detailed in the reports reviewed.
Police said Patel’s failure to report the collision delayed medical assistance because officers initially believed they were searching only for a suspected burglary participant. The teenager was eventually found unresponsive along the roadway and taken for emergency medical treatment. Police said his condition remained critical Tuesday night.
Patel remained in custody without bond as of the latest reports Tuesday. WESH reported that a court hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14. Authorities had not announced an updated condition for the teenager or additional charges as of early Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 14, 2026.