An enraged Nocatee father pounded a Ponte Vedra man outside a Nocatee restaurant last week after he allegedly engaged in “inappropriate” behavior towards his son, according to an arrest report.
St. Johns County deputies responded to the eatery around 8:05 p.m. last Thursday after receiving reports of a fight.
Upon arrival, officers found Ashish Patel, 48, outside the restaurant with a bloody cut above his left eyebrow.
Deputies said he appeared drunk, with bloodshot eyes, unsteady on his feet, and refused to comply with officers’ requests to sit down.
Patel told law enforcement he had been “talking to a kid who seemed upset” inside the restaurant and said, “you wouldn’t understand, I was a former high school math teacher,” when asked for further explanation.
Staffers told deputies that Patel had been involved in multiple disputes inside the business, reportedly arguing with bartenders and other patrons.
The confrontation escalated after one customer accused Patel of inappropriate behavior toward his young son, prompting Patel to push the man, leading to the outside altercation.
“Stop molesting my son,” the man said at one point, according to police papers.
A video of the incident that circulated on social media showed a seemingly nonsensical note that Patel allegedly handed to the child while his family members looked on.
“I liked your ‘sure,” Patel allegedly wrote. “It means I need to be better. HASH.”
The confrontation spilled out onto the street, where the dad can be seen raining down blows on Patel before walking away.
Patel was charged with disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance, a misdemeanor.
Records show that Patel has a prior criminal history in St. Johns County, including arrests for speeding, DUI, and driving the wrong way down a one way street.
In 2022, Patel was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct inside another local restaurant.
A manager told police that he repeatedly harassed customers and that he wanted him trespassed.
