NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Marietta, GA, July 4, 2025: What began as an attempt to detain an alleged shoplifter has turned into a legal ordeal for a Marietta liquor store manager and his friend, who are now facing multiple felony charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping.
On the evening of June 29, Marietta police responded to a 911 call from Ace Liquors, located on Franklin Gateway. The caller, identified as 31-year-old Shivamkumar Patel of Smyrna, is the manager of the store. According to police, Patel and his friend, 25-year-old Anil Yaganti of Marietta, had detained 32-year-old Jeremy Minter of Acworth at gunpoint, accusing him of stealing from the store earlier.
Police issued Minter a criminal trespass warning and allowed him to leave the scene. However, within the hour, Minter contacted police again, this time alleging that Patel and Yaganti had forcibly brought him back into the store at gunpoint, entered his vehicle without permission, and took his firearm.
According to authorities, surveillance footage supported aspects of Minter’s account. Police say they later recovered the firearm and returned it to him.
Patel and Yaganti were arrested and now face multiple serious charges. Patel has been charged with aggravated assault, armed robbery, entering an automobile with intent to commit theft, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Yaganti faces the same charges, excluding the firearm possession count. Both are being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
No trial date has been announced as of press time. The case remains under investigation.
The defense is expected to argue that the two men believed they were responding to a shoplifting incident and attempting to protect private property. Georgia law allows merchants to detain suspected shoplifters under certain circumstances, but use of force—particularly involving weapons or removal of personal property—can raise legal complexities.
