A man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in connection with a 2012 “gas-and-dash” incident that left a gas station attendant dead.
Jayesh Prajapati, 44, died after being struck by an SUV whose driver was attempting to flee a Shell station at Marlee and Roselawn avenues without paying a $112 gas bill in September 2012.
Prajapati was dragged more than 70 metres as horrified witnesses yelled at the driver to stop.
On Tuesday a jury found 44-year-old Max Tutiven guilty of second-degree murder in the incident.
Tutiven admitted that his vehicle killed Prajapati, but he told the court that he hadn’t seen the attendant jump in front of his car as he made a getaway, and he believed he had been dragging a pylon. He pleaded not guilty in the incident.
Tutiven will be sentenced on Nov. 1.
