Loved ones of kidnapped and murdered California family hold memorial in Phoenix
Loved ones of kidnapped and murdered California family hold memorial in Phoenix
A memorial was held in Phoenix for four Central California family members who were kidnapped and killed as the victims, two men, a woman, and an eight-month-old girl, have family in Arizona.
PHOENIX - A memorial was held in Phoenix on Sunday for four California family members who were kidnapped and killed as the victims, two men, a woman, and an eight-month-old girl, have family in Arizona.
On Oct. 5, Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke announced that all four family members were found dead. Warnke did not release any information about how and when they believe the family was killed. He said the victims were close to each other when found by a farmworker in a remote area.
Alberto Salgado was arrested in Merced County for criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence. The sheriff's office says Alberto is the brother of Jesus Manuel Salgado, who is suspected of kidnapping and murdering eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur and 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, and the baby's 39-year-old uncle Amandeep Singh.
‘Grief, sorrow, anger’
Raising their voices together, dozens came out in Phoenix on Oct. 9 to mourn and honor the lives of the four victims.
"We feel grief, sorrow, anger," says Arsh Behla, a cousin of the family who lives in Chandler. "It’s been … it’s been hard."
He says the family is absolutely shattered by the loss.
"They were kind, honest, hardworking, blue collar, honest Americans. They immigrated here from the early 2000s. They knew what clocking in and clocking out meant," Behla said. "They built their business and finally got to the point where they thought they were achieving the American dream."
A tragedy, hurting even more, as he says his family was expected to visit Arizona just days from when they were found dead.
Standing together in unity, loved ones hope that these four lights and memories will continue to shine on.
Leading up to tragedy
The four family members were taken from their business in Merced, a city of 86,000 people about 125 miles southeast of San Francisco. Their new business had opened just days earlier, family members said.
Surveillance video released showed one of the suspects first walking by the property before talking to one of the men. Later, it shows him leading the men, who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs, into the back seat of Amandeep Singh’s pickup truck. The suspect then went back to the trailer that served as the business office and led Jasdeep Singh, who was carrying her baby in her arms, out and into the truck before the suspect then drove away.
Investigators are trying to discover a motive for the slayings. Authorities say Salgado was a former driver for the family's trucking company, and they were apparently in a feud prior to this incident.