‘Peeping Tom’ motel owner is hauled up

BUSHNELL, FL — An Indian American motel owner in Bushnell, Florida, was arrested on October 12 after hotel guests told the police that he had snuck into their hotel room while they were sleeping.

The police said Manish Patel, owner of the Bushnell Inn, snuck into the room of guests at 3 am in the morning, after locking up the front desk for the night. Surveillance video footage shows Patel entering his guests’ room before going to his own room.

The occupants of the room told law enforcement officials arriving at the scene that they awoke to find Patel crawling on the floor next to the bed nearest the door while they were sleeping. When confronted, Patel ran out of the room with a sheet as he tried to cover his face, according to the sheriff’s office.

Patel was arrested and charged with burglary to an occupied structure and evidence tampering. He is being held without bail.

Patel was previously arrested in 2014 on sexual assault charges, but was released on $100,000 bond pending trial in November. His bond from that case has been revoked.

The Sheriff’s Office has mandated Patel to turn over surveillance camera footage. It is believed the owner may have turned off the security camera as he entered the guests’ room, and then turned it back on once law enforcement arrived.