The teenager charged with the murder of the Tobacco House store owner nearly one year ago pled guilty Thursday morning to second degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Jhack Aaron Pless, who turned 17 on Aug. 1, was sentenced in a plea agreement to 20-25 years in jail after he admitted in Rowan County Superior Court that he shot and killed Mainank “Mike” Patel at approximately 11 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 13, 2024.
Pless was initially facing first-degree murder charges, but the agreement is for second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, which were consolidated for sentencing.
In documents read into the record in court by Assistant District Attorney Ashley Smith, Pless went into the store on Airport Road, grabbed a bag of chips and approached the counter. Evidence says Pless pulled a gun on Patel, who put his hands up before trying to reach his own weapon. Pless shot Patel three times before taking Patel’s gun and leaving the store.
Pless reportedly told family, to whom he admitted the crime, that he took Patel’s gun because “he was still alive, and Jhack was afraid Patel would shoot him,” said Smith.
Patel was initially taken to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center then transported to Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, where he died as a result of his injuries that same afternoon. He left behind his wife, Ami, a daughter who had just celebrated a fifth birthday, and a son on the way.
Customers from the store have spoken out in tremendous numbers, noting that Mike was the kind of man who would have given Pless food or even money had he asked. He had a reputation of allowing people to pay later, or making sure that if someone was in need, he helped.
Smith said Ami Patel, Mike’s widow, wanted to reiterate that fact, and that customers at the store were considered friends and family, not just customers. The Pless family were reportedly frequent visitors to the store and the parents and the Patels knew one another.
She added that Ami Patel is worried about her older child, who is struggling with the loss of her father. Ami was seven months pregnant at the time of the shooting and now has a son. The Patel family was in court for the proceedings as was Lt. Ryan Barkley, lead investigator on the case for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
Judge L. Todd Burke of the 4th Superior Court division was on the bench for the proceedings, and he applauded Ami for her “strength and fortitude. The court has no way to advise you on how to navigate this loss, but I hope that you and your family can one day find peace.”
He also acknowledged Pless’ father who was in the courtroom despite serious health issues. Before proceedings began, the senior Pless had a momentary health issue that required medical assistance, but he recovered and was able to remain in the courtroom.
Jhack Pless entered the courtroom with shackles on his hands and ankles attached to a chain around his waist, tall and lanky in a plaid shirt and khakis, his blond hair longer and covering part of his face. He kept his head down as he walked, and declined to speak when offered an opportunity.
He agreed that he was pleading guilty of his own free will, but never apologized or offered acknowledgement of the Patel family.
Pless’ father called law enforcement after seeing the shooting on the news, because he suspected his son was involved. Jhack turned himself in later that night.
On the day of the shooting, numerous customers began gathering at the store, unsure of how to help but unwilling to leave because of their fondness for Patel.
Javier Lopez has been cutting the grass at the store for years, even before Patel took over from his cousin he said, and the Patel family “treated everyone like family. I just saw him yesterday morning, and on my way home from work, I saw the police and stopped to see what had happened.
“There are just no words to describe how great a guy Mike was,” he continued. “He was just a beautiful man.”
“He was a super good man, good to his customers, loved his family and would have helped anyone,” said Patricia Howard, another regular customer at the store.
