California, 6/10: Four members of an Indian-origin family, including an 8-month-old, who were kidnapped in California’s Merced city, were found dead in an orchard on Thursday.
Sheriff Vern Warnke announced Wednesday that the bodies were found in a Merced County orchard and told reporters: “Our worst fears have been confirmed”.
The announcement came after authorities released surveillance video of a man kidnapping 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents and uncle from their business Monday in Merced in the San Joaquin Valley southeast of San Francisco.
They were abducted on Monday following which the California sheriff had launched a search operation.
They were identified as Jasdeep Singh (36), his wife Jasleen Kaur (27), their 8-month-old daugther Aroohi Dheri and the child’s uncle Amandeep Singh (39).
Authorities earlier said the four were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnapping. The kidnapper made no ransom demands but the sheriff has said he believes it was a financially motivated crime.