An Abingdon man is in custody, charged with assault and robbery, after severely beating a clerk at an Abingdon gas station in July.

On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, deputies assigned to the Southern Precinct of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Exxon located in the 2900 block of Emmorton Road in Abingdon for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, deputies located an adult male employee of the store, identified as Kamileshkumar Patel, 54, of Abingdon, suffering from significant injuries related to an assault. Medics transported Patel to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. Patel has since been released from the hospital but continues to recover from his injuries.

The investigation was assumed by detectives with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. Investigators from the Forensic Services Unit responded to the area to collect and preserve physical evidence in support of the investigation.

The initial investigation indicated two unknown men entered the store and began arguing with Patel over one of them taking a cup from the beverage area. That man began threatening Patel, who began filming him with his phone. The argument continued as the man left the store. Patel continued following him, filming when the suspect began assaulting him, striking him several times in the head, knocking him to the ground. The suspect then took Patel’s phone and fled the area.

As a result of the initial investigation, on July 29, 2022, an arrest warrant was issued for William Billy Jones, 28, of Abingdon. He was charged with robbery, 1st and 2nd degree assault, theft $100 to under $1,500 and malicious destruction of property. Jones turned himself in at the Harford County Detention Center on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, where he is being held without bail following his initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner.

At this time, no charges have been filed against the second individual who was in the store with Jones at the time of the assault.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Detective Moro, with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, at 443-409-3154.