Florida woman Samantha Brownlee charged with killing boss in Pinellas Park

A 21-year-old Pinellas County woman is facing a variety of charges including murder after she allegedly killed her boss, ran him over with his own vehicle which she then torched Saturday night.

Samantha Estelle Brownlee is being held without bond. Investigators say she worked as housekeeper at the Budget Inn at 9359 US 19 in Pinellas Park. Bhupendrakumar Patel, the victim, managed the hotel.

According to a Pinellas Park Police Department report officers and Pinellas Park Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched to an area near the intersection of Lakes Blvd. and 102nd Ave. just after 8pm. When they arrived, they found Patel, 49, lying in the roadway; he was declared deceased.

Approximately 40 minutes later a vehicle fire was reported in a parking area behind a vacant restaurant just a few blocks from where the victim was found. The buing vehicle was a blue Toyota van whose registered owner was Patel. Investigators interviewed Brownlee, who also lives at the hotel, and decided to charge her with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree arson.

Brownlee also implicated a 16-year-old male who detectives say is her boyfriend. The juvenile also resides at the Budget Inn. The teen is facing one count of accessory to first-degree murder and one count of arson. He was taken to the Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment Center.

Investigators believe Brownlee and Patel got into an argument which tued physical. The suspect got into the van and ran over Patel before fleeing the scene. She parked the vehicle at 10525 US 19 and went back later with her accomplice to set it on fire.