BY VEENA RAO
Acworth, GA, April 18, 2025: A 56-year-old Kennesaw man was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping at a Walmart in Acworth last month. However, newly surfaced surveillance footage and statements from Patel’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, are challenging the narrative that led to his arrest. Merchant, who recently visited Patel in jail, shared details of his account exclusively with NRI Pulse.
Mahendra Patel was taken into custody on March 21, 2025, after Acworth Police identified him as the suspect in the incident at Walmart in Cobb Parkway, where, according to authorities, Patel approached a mother inside the store, inquired about Tylenol, and then attempted to grab her child. According to the mother’s statement, she managed to retrieve her child, and Patel fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Acworth detectives utilized surveillance footage and FLOCK cameras to identify Patel, leading to his arrest three days later. He has been charged with kidnapping (felony), as well as simple assault and simple battery (both misdemeanors). Patel is currently being held without bond at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
Patel’s Version of Events
According to Patel, he had gone to Walmart to buy a specific form of Tylenol—gel rapid release—for his elderly mother, who lives with him and suffers from osteoarthritis. Struggling to locate the product, he asked a store employee for assistance. A woman in a motorized wheelchair overheard and offered to help. She was accompanied by two small children and appeared to be having difficulty steering the cart, which eventually crashed into a display case.
When it seemed that her youngest child might fall during the commotion, Patel instinctively reached out to help. He immediately stopped when he sensed from the woman’s body language that she did not want assistance. She then pointed out the Tylenol to him, and he walked toward the shelf.
Moments later, the woman lost control of the cart again, reportedly running over her own child’s foot. Another shopper came over to assist her. Surveillance footage reportedly shows her laughing with this shopper shortly afterward. Patel, meanwhile, continued his search with the help of another employee, eventually locating the Tylenol and showing it to the woman on his way out. She gave him a thumbs-up gesture. Footage shows Patel paying for his purchase and interacting in a friendly manner with Walmart staff.
Merchant believes cultural misunderstandings may have contributed to the situation. “Mr. Patel was trying to help a woman he believed to be handicapped and in distress,” she said. “He is known in his community as a kind, gentle, and helpful man. Unfortunately, his attempt to assist was misinterpreted as something sinister.”
She said Patel, a devoted father of two daughters and the primary caregiver for his elderly mother, is well-known in his community for his kindness.
“This woman clearly took his friendliness the wrong way and jumped to a conclusion that was completely wrong based on what actually happened.”
Merchant said the arrest has caused heavy emotional and psychological distress for Patel and his family. ”
This has been very difficult for Mr. Patel and his family. He is being threatened in jail because they believe he is a child kidnapper. He had trouble getting a vegetarian diet in jail. His daughters and family are scared because of the threats, and their name is all over the internet. People he works with are being harassed and this is taking its toll on his family,” she said.
Despite the ordeal, Patel’s family has received an outpouring of support from the local Indian community. Many friends and acquaintances have offered to write letters and even appear in court to support his case.
“Mr. Patel looks forward to being released and returning to his family,” Merchant relayed. “He hopes that his name is cleared.”
Patel’s next court hearing is on May 6.
