On Monday, the family members were kidnapped from a business in Merced County, California. The suspect worked for the family, baby was left to die.
MERCED COUNTY, California — The search for an Indian American family of four kidnapped in California tragically ended Wednesday (Oct. 5th) with authorities recovered their bodies from a rural farm area days after being abducted at gunpoint.
Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke says the bodies of 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their 8-month-old daughter, Aroohi Dheri and the baby’s uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were found Wednesday evening in a rural orchard farm.
“Tonight, our worst fears have been confirmed,” Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said during a news conference Wednesday night. “Horribly, horribly senseless what happened here.”
The family had been missing since Monday, when authorities said they were kidnapped by a man armed with a gun and forced into a truck.
Before the bodies were found, family members were imploring the public for any information related to the case.
“Every store, gas stations, everybody who has cameras please check the cameras,” Sukhdeep Singh, a brother of one of the victims, told reporters Wednesday. “We need the public’s help right now. Please help us … so my family comes home safe.”
Another relative, identified only as Balvinder, described the family as “peace loving” and said they own a small business and are longtime residents of the area.
“We are devastated. We are shocked. We are dying every moment not finding any clues,” Balvinder said.
In a video shown at a news conference earlier Wednesday, Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh are seen arriving at the family trucking business nine minutes apart. Shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, Jasdeep encounters a man outside the business – who carried a trash bag and then pulled out what appeared to be a firearm.
Jasdeep and Amandeep, hands tied behind their backs, are later seen being escorted by the gunman into the back of a truck, which leaves and returns six minutes later.
The gunman then reenters the business and is seen taking Jasleen, who is carrying baby Aroohi, to the pickup.
Police have taken into custody a man they consider a person of interest in the case. A family spokesperson told Action News the primary suspect in the kidnapping and murder, Jesus Manuel Salgado, is a former employee who used to drive for the victim’s trucking company. They had a disagreement and parted ways.
Salgado was officially booked into the Merced County Jail on four counts of kidnapping and four counts of murder Thursday evening. Deputies say he tried killing himself before being taken into custody on Tuesday.
Warnke said Salgado was convicted in 2005 in a case involving armed robbery and false imprisonment. The man was paroled in 2015. Warnke said the man acted alone in the previous case and knew the victims.
The family spokesperson also revealed that baby Aroohi Dheri was left for dead and died from exposure. Amandeep Singh is survived by his wife and two kids in their teens.
The city of Merced has announced a candlelight vigil for the family will be held every night at 7 p.m. starting Oct. 6 to Oct. 9.
The vigil will be held in downtown Merced at Bob Hart Square.
