In a strange turn of events in Georgia, two Indian-origin men — Shivamkumar Patel and his friend Anil Yaganti — have been arrested after a shoplifting incident took an unexpected twist.
It all began when Patel called 911 to report that he and Yaganti had caught a man named Jeremy Minter trying to steal from their liquor store. They said they detained him at gunpoint, which is allowed under Georgia law in some shoplifting cases.
The police came to the store and gave Minter a trespassing warning, telling him not to return for five years. Everything seemed settled.
But later, the police got another 911 call — this time from the shoplifter, Minter. He told the police that Patel and Yaganti had actually robbed him. He said they searched his car without permission and stole his handgun.
After talking to everyone involved and checking the store’s surveillance footage, the police started to believe Minter’s story. They found differences in the statements given by Patel and Yaganti.
As a result, Patel and Yaganti were arrested and now face serious criminal charges. Patel is charged with aggravated assault, armed robbery, entering a vehicle with intent to steal, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and using a gun during a crime. Yaganti is facing all the same charges except the one involving a firearm.
Both men are currently in jail without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. No court date has been set yet. Their lawyers say they were only reacting to a shoplifting situation and had no bad intentions.
