4 family members kidnapped at gunpoint in California found dead

The kidnapped family of four – including an 8-month-old child – was found dead Wednesday in California, authorities said.

“It’s horribly, horribly senseless,” Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said, adding that all the bodies were found in an extremely rural farm area.

Eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri and her parents – 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur and 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh – were kidnapped at gunpoint from a business in Merced County in Northern California on Monday, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said. The baby’s uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh, was also kidnapped, the sheriff said, according to CNN.

Also Read | What is Direction Action Everywhere?

Authorities said they have a person of interest in custody in connection to the case. The person of interest, identified as Jesus Manuel Salgado, reportedly tried to take his own life. The person was sedated because he has been violent at the hospital, authorities said Tuesday.

During a news conference, police showed  surveillance video of the family being forced into a truck by an armed man.

Warnke said that the bodies were found by a farm worker in the area, adding that the Department of Justice crime lab will be investigating the scene.

So far, no motive behind the killings has been found. The suspect has been quizzed, Warnke said, but no details were made public. 

A relative, identified only as Balvinder, described the family as “peace-loving” and said they own a small business.

“We are devastated. We are shocked. We are dying every moment not finding any clues,” Balvinder said, according to CNN.

In the video shared at the news conference, the suspect was seen on video pulling out a gun and entering the business.

Also Read | WHO probing 4 Indian cough syrups likely linked to 66 children’s deaths in Gambia

Jasdeep and Amandeep were later seen with their hands tied behind their backs as they were escorted by the gunman into the back of a truck.

On Tuesday, investigators learnt that an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used at a bank in Atwater, California.