US crime: Sikh man kidnapped and killed in California was not actual target of crime: Officials
It is learnt suspects were after someone else for a specific reason, but that detail has not yet been made public
PTC Web Desk: A 57-year-old Sikh man was found dead in California a few days after he was allegedly kidnapped. Authorities have said that he was not the actual target of the crime.
Avtar Singh was reported missing on February 17 around 8:52 pm in Tracy, California. According to officials, surveillance cameras later showed a white SUV and three persons wearing dark clothes with Singh at about 2:30 pm the same day. Police believe he was forced to get into the vehicle.
On February 20 at around 3:20 pm, a body matching Singh’s description was discovered near Lake Berryessa by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that the body was that of Avtar Singh.
Investigators are continuing to examine the case and are trying to identify the people responsible. Officials have said that, based on current information, the incident appears to be isolated and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told local news outlet KCRA that Singh was not the person the kidnappers had planned to target. According to him, the suspects were after someone else for a specific reason, but that detail has not yet been made public. He added that investigators cannot share more information about the suspects or their possible motive at this stage.
Singh was a volunteer at a local gurdwara, where he also lived with his wife and three young triplets. Members of the community described him as sincere and hardworking. For over two decades, he served as the head cook at the gurdwara and was known for helping with many other tasks as well.