Kidnapped Santa Cruz tech CEO is found dead

Hours after authorities began searching for a 50-year-old man police said was kidnapped from his oceanfront home, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office reported finding a BMW stolen from his house and a body near the vehicle.

Tushar Atre was taken from his home in the 3000 block of Pleasure Point Drive “during a crime” about 3 a.m. Tuesday and was last seen getting into a white BMW, according to a Facebook post by sheriff’s officials.

Hours later, officials updated the post, saying: “We have some unfortunate news. We have found the car associated with this case along with a deceased person.”

On Wednesday, officials again updated the post to say the body had been identified as Atre.

Now, investigators are tracking multiple suspects in connection with the kidnapping of Atre — who, according to his LinkedIn profile, was the owner of AtreNet, a web design company that caters to Silicon Valley corporate businesses.

“We are looking into all aspects of his life,” said Sgt. Brian Cleveland, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. “All doors are open.”
According to Cleveland, Atre was inside his home Tuesday morning with several other people when multiple suspects broke into his house and abducted him in his girlfriend’s white BMW. Someone in the house called authorities to report the abduction.

The investigation took officials to a property in a mountainous, heavily wooded area in the 24000 block of Soquel San Jose Road. There, they found the white BMW and Atre’s body.

Investigators don’t know the suspects’ relationship with Atre. But authorities “have reason to believe the motive was robbery,” according to the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post.

Cleveland said that detectives believe the kidnapping was an isolated incident and that there is no danger to the community.

According to his social media profiles, Atre was an avid surfer whose home overlooks the Pacific Ocean. His Instagram profile depicts an adventurous, nature-filled life.

His Twitter profile reads: “Surfer. Mushroom forager. Always on the go.”