GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Kent County jury delivered a guilty verdict this week against a now 22-year-old who murdered Vasant Patel last February.
Patel, 42, was gunned down on the city's southwest side on Feb. 10 in the 800 block of Butterworth Street Southwest.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Patel had been shot multiple times. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Authorities charged Neftali Hernandez with second-degree murder.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker is happy with the outcome of the trial.
"I appreciate the time and effort the jury put in on this case, it is always a difficult decision, but they were very attentive and thoughtful and reached the correct verdict in my mind. Hopefully the verdict can provide some closure to the family, there was absolutely no reason for this to happen," Becker said.
Hernandez is expected to learn his sentence on April 10. He faces up to life in prison.
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