An Indian-American motel owner was arrested in Springfield, Ohio, after a woman was found held against her will at the motel. Dipak Kumar Patel, 64, played no role in imprisoning a woman, but police say he delayed the investigation by withholding key information and tampering with records. Springfield Township police said they learned on Feb. 3 that a woman at the Patel Motel might be in danger. “Information provided to officers indicated that the female was unable to leave freely and required immediate assistance,” police said in a statement. The woman was found at the property and a man was arrested at the motel. But after police reviewed motel records, they discovered that the motel owner, Patel, had withheld “critical information” that could have helped them find the victims more quickly. The suspect holding the woman captive had an active arrest warrant. But police said motel records had been tampered with. Patel was charged Wednesday with obstructing official business and tampering with records and was taken to the Summit County Jail.“The Springfield Township Police Department has responded to multiple incidents on the property and we will continue to take enforcement action when individuals or businesses interfere with police operations or put members of our community at risk. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Our officers remain committed to proactively addressing ongoing issues, protecting victims, and holding offenders accountable,” police said in a statement. In body camera footage released by the department, an officer questioned Patel and told him he was filing criminal charges against him because he did not provide appropriate information to police when they visited the property on Feb. 3. Patel argued he had no idea what happened to the woman. He also said that the incident (what the police asked him about) disappeared from his mind, and the officer said that as a motel owner, he had to remember something.
