'Kidnapped' Punjabi family found dead in orchard in California: Sheriff

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, October 6

The sheriff of Merced County in California has said a baby girl and three other Sikh family members who were kidnapped at gunpoint have been found dead.

Sheriff Vern Warnke announced on Thursday 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.

A four-member Sikh family, including an 8-month-old child were originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. They were kidnapped in Merced County, California, on Monday.

The family was identified as 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur, her 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh, and her 39-year-old uncle Amandeep Singh.

A vehicle owned by one of the family members was found on fire late Monday, which led law enforcement to determine that the four had been kidnapped.

According to a news release, detectives received information on Tuesday morning that one of the victim's bank cards was used at an ATM in Atwater in Merced County.

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