In the quiet town of Elkton, Maryland, a dispute over a room rental at the New Eastern Motel escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of its co-owner, 59-year-old Ushaben Dilipbhai Patel. On the evening of March 5, 2021, Ushaben and her husband, Dilipbhai Ishvarbhai Patel, also 59, were working in the motel's lobby when they were shot. Ushaben, an Indian American, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, while her husband was critically injured by a gunshot to his lower torso.
The couple, originally from the state of Gujarat in India, had been married for approximately 40 years and had moved to the United States about two decades prior to the incident. Through hard work and savings from various jobs, they eventually realized their dream of owning their own business, the New Eastern Motel, where their two sons also worked alongside them.
The alleged assailant, Hakeem Markel Evans, a 26-year-old guest from Newark, Delaware, was identified as the shooter. Surveillance footage from the motel lobby reportedly captured the argument between Evans and the Patels through a plexiglass partition. During the dispute, Evans is said to have fired a gun, striking both Ushaben and Dilipbhai.
Following the shooting, Evans fled the scene but was apprehended by Elkton Police a short time later at a nearby convenience store. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and firearm-related offenses. In April 2023, Hakeem M. Evans was sentenced for the murder of Usha Patel and the attempted murder of her husband.
