The four members of a family that were kidnapped from a business in Merced County in California were found dead.the sheriff announced Wednesday night.
Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke reported that the bodies were found in an orchard near Indiana and Hutchinson highways.
“Our worst fears have been confirmed,” Warnke said. “We found the four people from the kidnapping and they are indeed dead.”
“There are no words at this time to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident,” he added. “I said it before, there’s a special place in hell for this guy.”
The family was kidnapped Monday at gunpoint from a business in Merced, central California.
California family kidnapping video
Earlier on Wednesday, authorities showed surveillance video of a man abducting the baby, Aroohi Dheri; the boy’s mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; Father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and Uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, from his business.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5zh-RlWp84
The video shows two of the family members, Jasdeep Singh, 36, and Amandeep Singh, 39, walking out the back door of the business with their hands tied.
Moments later, the video shows the kidnapper leading Jasleen Kaur and her 8-month-old baby, Aroohi Dheri, out of the building and into a truck.
Jesús Manuel Salgado, a suspect, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and remains sedated in hospital after attempting suicide.
Authorities say agents were told one of the victim’s ATM cards was used at a bank in Atwater, a town about 9 miles north of Merced. Authorities added that a farmer answered the victim’s phone after he was found in the middle of the street.
The motive for the kidnapping has not been determined, but authorities believe it is financial in nature.
During the news conference early Wednesday, Sheriff Vernon Warnke said he believes there was at least one other person involved in the kidnapping but did not provide additional details.
Detectives received information that initially identified Salgado as a person of interest and that he attempted suicide before police arrived, a statement from authorities said, without specifying where he was taken into custody.
The sheriff’s office said his own family contacted authorities and informed them that Salgado had admitted to them that he was involved in the family’s kidnapping.