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A central California family of four — including an 8-month-old child — was found dead Wednesday in California after they were kidnapped earlier this week, authorities said.”Tonight our worst fears have been confirmed,” Merced County Sherriff Vernon Warnke said during a press briefing posted to the department’s Facebook page. “There’s no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident.”The kidnapping of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh and the child’s uncle Amandeep Singh occurred on Monday. Authorities got a call from a farm worker around 5:30 p.m. local time who came across the family members and called police, Warnke said. The family members were found “relatively close together,” Warnke added, but declined to disclose further details as the investigation continues.Earlier Wednesday, authorities held a news conference and said they have a person of interest in custody. During the news conference, surveillance video of the family being forced into a truck by an armed man was displayed.Watch the surveillance video in the player above.The investigation began Monday morning when the California Highway Patrol responded to a 2020 Dodge Ram that was on fire and asked the Merced Police Department to help track down the vehicle’s owner.Roughly an hour later, Merced police officers arrived at the truck owner’s address and met with a family member there. Officers tried to contact the couple and the child’s uncle, but they were not able to reach them. Later, a suspect was seen on surveillance video at a business putting two men into a truck, followed by a woman and a baby, according to Deputy Alexanda Britton, public information officer for the sheriff’s office. The kidnapping involved a gun and restraints, Britton said. On Tuesday, authorities took a 48-year-old man into custody as a person of interest in the case.Britton said the man’s family had contacted law enforcement and told them the man admitted being involved in the kidnapping. Law enforcement made contact with the man after the family’s call.Investigators learned Tuesday morning that an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used at a bank in Atwater, California, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Atwater is about nine miles northwest of Merced. Britton said it is unclear whether the 48-year-old in custody is the person who used that card.After that transaction, investigators were able to identify the 48-year-old man as a person of interest in the case and take him into custody.The man tried to take his life before law enforcement involvement, and he was receiving medical treatment and in critical condition Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office.CNN contributed to this report.
A central California family of four — including an 8-month-old child — was found dead Wednesday in California after they were kidnapped earlier this week, authorities said.
“Tonight our worst fears have been confirmed,” Merced County Sherriff Vernon Warnke said during a press briefing posted to the department’s Facebook page. “There’s no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident.”
The kidnapping of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh and the child’s uncle Amandeep Singh occurred on Monday.
Authorities got a call from a farm worker around 5:30 p.m. local time who came across the family members and called police, Warnke said. The family members were found “relatively close together,” Warnke added, but declined to disclose further details as the investigation continues.
Earlier Wednesday, authorities held a news conference and said they have a person of interest in custody. During the news conference, surveillance video of the family being forced into a truck by an armed man was displayed.
Watch the surveillance video in the player above.
The investigation began Monday morning when the California Highway Patrol responded to a 2020 Dodge Ram that was on fire and asked the Merced Police Department to help track down the vehicle’s owner.
Roughly an hour later, Merced police officers arrived at the truck owner’s address and met with a family member there. Officers tried to contact the couple and the child’s uncle, but they were not able to reach them.
Later, a suspect was seen on surveillance video at a business putting two men into a truck, followed by a woman and a baby, according to Deputy Alexanda Britton, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.
The kidnapping involved a gun and restraints, Britton said.
On Tuesday, authorities took a 48-year-old man into custody as a person of interest in the case.
Britton said the man’s family had contacted law enforcement and told them the man admitted being involved in the kidnapping. Law enforcement made contact with the man after the family’s call.
Investigators learned Tuesday morning that an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used at a bank in Atwater, California, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Atwater is about nine miles northwest of Merced. Britton said it is unclear whether the 48-year-old in custody is the person who used that card.
After that transaction, investigators were able to identify the 48-year-old man as a person of interest in the case and take him into custody.
The man tried to take his life before law enforcement involvement, and he was receiving medical treatment and in critical condition Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
CNN contributed to this report.
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