Indian American motel manager Hemant Mistry was tragically killed after being punched by a stranger in a motel parking lot in Oklahoma over the weekend when asked to leave the motel property.
The 59-year-old succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital after police responded to the assault near I-40 and Meridian Avenue on Saturday around 10 p.m.
Oklahoma police have arrested the assailant, 41-year-old Richard Lewis.
Who was Hemant Mistry?
Hemant actually hails from Bilimor, Gujarat, India. He was an active member of Gujarati Samaj of Oklahoma Inc, where he drove the donation campaign.
One of Hemant's close friends, Jyoti Mistry, posted on Facebook, remembering and mourning for her dear friend's untimely death. “Miss you dear friend, Hemant Mistry.. you have always been a dear friend, generously spreading love… to everyone..,” she wrote.
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“Your sudden absence has left a gaping hole in the family and friends behind…we are consumed by the grief , but cherish the memories you left behind to give the solace…. Cannot forget and cherish the last dinner we had together, not even 2 weeks back… we re-lived the moments of our lives.. ♥️♥️🙏🙏”
How the night unfolded
{{/usCountry}}“Your sudden absence has left a gaping hole in the family and friends behind…we are consumed by the grief , but cherish the memories you left behind to give the solace…. Cannot forget and cherish the last dinner we had together, not even 2 weeks back… we re-lived the moments of our lives.. ♥️♥️🙏🙏”
How the night unfolded
{{/usCountry}}CCTV footage revealed a troubling incident at a motel involving the 59-year-old manager and a man who was later identified as Richard. The footage shows that Mistry had asked Richard to leave the property, leading to a minute-long heated exchange.
During this argument, Richard, donning an off-blue t-shirt, can be seen gesticulating animatedly. Without warning, he delivers a single punch to Hemant, who then collapses unconscious.
“One person was knocked unconscious during a physical confrontation,” confirmed Msgt. Dillon Quirk from the Oklahoma City Police Department. He elaborated, “It got confrontational when that suspect was asked to leave.”
Emergency services were promptly called to the scene, and Hemant was rushed to a local hospital. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, Mistry tragically succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday.
The police launched a brief investigation to track down the suspect. Richard was eventually located and arrested at a different hotel in the vicinity, near Meridian Avenue and Southwest 19th Street.
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“Police were able to identify that suspect, make an arrest,” Quirk stated. “Located at a separate hotel.”
The 41-year-old assaulter was booked on complaints of aggravated assault. However, with Hemant''s death, the charges will be upgraded to second-degree murder.
Formal charges have yet to be filed, but the gravity of the situation points toward more severe legal repercussions for Richard.