A family who was missing after being kidnapped from Merced earlier this week was found dead confirmed Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke.
The family was identified as eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur (27), Jasdeep Singh (36) and her uncle Amandeep Singh (39)
“Tonight, our worst fears have been confirmed. We found the four people from the kidnapping and they are in fact deceased,” Warnke said. “We are still working, we have crime labs coming in from the Department of Justice.”
“There’s no words right now to describe the anger I feel right now and the senselessness of this incident. I said it earlier there’s a special place in Hell for this guy. And what we’re going to deal with all night here is bad,” Warnke said.
He continued stating they still do not know all the facts yet as they are still investigating the scene—its going to be very “methodical”.
He stated that they got the call around 5:30 pm from a farmworker in the area and during the course of his job duties and made contact—deputies arrived quickly and confirmed what they have. The family was found “relatively” close together. The area was described as extremely rural farm area and not a lot of people who come out.
“This is horribly, horribly senseless,” said Warnke. “We don’t know the motivating factor yet but we are working on that and the investigation is going to pursue a full conviction and hoping the District Attorney’s Office files for the death penalty.”
“You are dealing with a child… I am livid inside, this is completely totally senseless,” said Warnke. “We have a whole family whipped out and we for what, we don’t know yet.”
Earlier on Wednesday they announced the “person of interest” was in custody in the connection of a kidnapping of an 8-month-old baby, her parents, and her uncle after being abducted at gunpoint on Monday.
Police identified Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, as the person of interest. When law enforcement was able to make contact with him, he attempted to take his own life. He is now in custody and receiving medical attention—he is also in critical condition.
October 4 UPDATE
It was determined that the photo of the person at the ATM was not the person of interest that is in custody. The victim’s ATM card was used, however we are working with the bank to obtain the correct photo.
Jesus Manuel Salgado
On October 4, 2022, in the morning hours, Merced County Sheriff Detectives received information that one of the victim’s ATM cards was used at an ATM located at a bank in the City of Atwater. Investigators obtained the surveillance photo of a subject making a bank transaction where the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene.
At approximately noon, working in conjunction with our local law enforcement partners, the Sheriff’s Office received information that identified Jesus Manuel Salgado (48-years-old) as a person of interest in this investigation. Prior to law enforcement involvement, Salgado attempted to take his own life. Salgado is in our custody, currently receiving medical attention and in critical condition.
The Sheriff’s Office, with the help of several law enforcement agencies continue to actively look for the eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur (27), Jasdeep Singh (36) and her uncle Amandeep Singh (39) whom have not been found.
Investigators continue to follow up on all leads and are working diligently to find the family. We continue to ask for the public’s help with any information that may assist us in locating the family’s whereabouts. If you have any information regarding this incident or the whereabouts of the victims, please call our tip line at 209.385.7547. The tip can be confidential.
The Sheriff’s Office will be holding a Press Conference on October 5, 2022 at 10:00AM at the Merced County Board Chambers located on the 3rd floor of the Merced County Build at 2222 “M” Street, Merced, Ca 95340. Due to limited space we are asking that all media personnel have media credentials with them.
October 4 KIDNAPPING UPDATE!
On October 3rd, 2022, at approximately 11:39 am, CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced was dispatched to Buhach Road and Oakdale Road in Winton for a report of a vehicle on fire. The vehicle was later identified to be a black 2020 Dodge Ram truck. The CHP – Merced arrived on scene to start the investigation.
At approximately 12:35 pm, California Highway Patrol requested the assistance of Merced Police Department in an attempt to contact the registered owner of the vehicle, Amandeep Singh. When the Merced Police Department arrived at the residence, they were not able to make contact with Amandeep however, they were able to reach another family member.
The family members attempted to contact Jasleen Kaur, Jasdeep Singh, and Amandeep Singh. When they were not able to reach their family members, they called the Merced County Sheriff’s Office to report Jasleen, Jasdeep, Amandeep, and 8-month-old, Aroohi missing.
At approximately 1:04 pm, our Office was notified and responded to a business on South Highway 59. During the primary investigation, Detectives determined that the individuals were kidnapped.
We are working with the California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other local law enforcement agencies to bring this family home safely.
If you have any information regarding this incident or the whereabouts of this family, please call our tip line at 209.385.7547. Your tip can be confidential.
