The remains of four Sikh family members taken at gunpoint in Central California were discovered Wednesday in a rural orchard, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Office.
Credit : NBC Bay Area
Sheriff Vern Warnke said he received a report at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday that the dead had been discovered by a farmworker. Aroohi Dheri, an eight-month-old girl, her mother Jasleen Kaur, 27, her father Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were among those killed.
Credit : NBC Bay Area
Warnke was overcome with emotion as he announced the deaths, calling the incident "completely senseless."
"Right now, there are no words to explain my rage and the senselessness of this act," Warnke added. "As I already stated, this individual has a particular spot in hell. And I really mean it."
Jesus Salgado, 48, was recognized as the suspect by detectives. Salgado is accused of kidnapping the family from their trucking company in Merced. He was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after attempting suicide before authorities discovered him, according to sheriff's officials.
The victims were discovered in a remote orchard near Dos Palos, roughly 30 minutes south of the location where the family was abducted. The sheriff did not say how they died, but detectives spent the most of the night investigating the location.
The sheriff's office released security video of the family being kidnapped without their will on Monday on Wednesday.
Salgado was on parole after serving an 11-year term for robbery and attempted false imprisonment, according to the sheriff's office. According to Warnke, Salgado is speaking with investigators from his hospital bed.
Investigators think that at least one more individual was involved in the kidnapping and murders, but they are still gathering evidence. They have not discovered any evidence linking Salgado to the family prior to the kidnapping.
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