KENNER, La. — When Nissan Patel looks at pictures of his father, he sees hard work in human form.
“Growing up around him, he was always a hands-on guy. He was an engineer by trade, so he worked his tail off,” Patel said.
Ashok Patel, 67, died on Sept. 10 because of injuries he suffered three months ago. Kenner police say he was attacked in the parking lot of the hotel he owned, the Radisson Hotel, on Veterans Boulevard next to the New Orleans airport.
It’s the very hotel he built from the ground up 20 years ago when he retired.
“He was here every day,” his son said. “He just loved being in the hotel business meeting travelers from all around the world and meeting new people every day."
Lt. Michael Cunningham with Kenner police says David Schulien, 30, from Texas was speeding through the parking lot of the hotel that day.
“We’re not sure at this point exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t a guest at the hotel,” Cunningham said. “We believe he was trying to get through the parking lot to get to a rental car return which was next door to the hotel.”
A locked gate prevented that from happening. That’s when Cunningham says Patel approached Schulien, who then knocked Patel to the ground and kicked him.
“I don’t see a reason why Mr. Schulien had to kick him, and he kicked him hard enough to break his leg. That’s a pretty powerful kick,” Cunningham said.
Before the attack, which was caught on surveillance video, Cunningham says Patel took pictures of Schulien and his license plate which helped police track him down. He was arrested for second-degree battery and posted a $10,000 bond. Schulien is now wanted for second-degree murder and is expected to turn himself in soon.
As the youngest of three kids, Patel says his father seemed to be doing well, but a blood clot changed everything.
“I met the ambulance at the hospital, and they told me he was already in grave condition and it just went downhill from there,” he said.
Patel says his father immigrated to the United States 40 years ago and was instrumental in creating the local Indian community.
“He wanted to share the food, the culture, the art, the music. He wanted share that with anyone and everyone he could meet in the New Orleans area,” Patel said.
With is dad now gone, Patel says the lessons from his father will never be forgotten.
“He’s always instilled hard work," he said. "Just trying to do the best you can."
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