Española Way Murder: Man In Custody With Getaway Car

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Police said on Tuesday they had a man in custody in connection with the stolen white Honda Accord that is believed to have served as the getaway car in the Jan. 25 murder of Kamil Patel. The 29-year-old was gunned down along tourist-favorite Española Way around 11:45 p.m. in an alleyway. The car was located in Miami.

Meanwhile, the reward has grown to $13,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Patel's murder. He recently moved to Miami Beach from Texas.

Patel's employer, Prada, added $5,000 to the reward pool on Monday. Miami Beach Police are contributing another $5,000 in addition to $3,000 from Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers.

The city's Melissa Berthier has said that police believe the shooter fled in the white, four-door 2017 Honda Accord with dark tinted windows. It had a Florida temporary tag of CCP4319.

Patel recently moved to Miami Beach from Texas but police have not released a possible motive for the slaying. The victim was an American of Pakistani descent.

A woman who was visiting Patel from Dallas at the time of the slaying, told Local 10 News that her friend was worried about her safety even after he was shot by the gunman.

"His last words were still trying to protect me: 'Katy keep walking,'" the woman recalled. She said that she and Patel were headed to a karaoke bar at the time. The shooting occurred near the Kill Your Idol bar, which was holding a karaoke night.

Patel was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died, according to Berthier.

Police recovered the white Honda Accord that is believed to have been used as the getaway car in the murder of Kamil Patel. Photo courtesy Miami Beach Police Department.