Baby kidnapped with parents and uncle from Merced business, authorities say

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office said it has taken a man into custody in connection with the kidnapping of an 8-month-old girl, her parents, and her uncle from a business in Merced, Calif., Monday.

On Tuesday morning, sheriff’s detectives learned that a bank card belonging to one of the victims was used at an ATM at a bank in the nearby town of Atwater.

After reviewing surveillance video from the bank, investigators initially believed that the person making the transaction resembled a man photographed by security cameras at the site of the kidnapping, authorities said.

The Sheriff’s Office identified Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, as a person of interest in the investigation.

Salgado attempted to take his own life “prior to law enforcement involvement,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. He is in critical condition and under medical care.

Police are still searching for 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri; her mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; her father, Jasdeep Singh, 36; and her uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39, who were abducted from a business off South Highway 59, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said they are still trying to establish a motive.

“We have a lowlife out here,” Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said in a video asking the public for help. “We have no idea why the kidnapping, we have no motivation behind it. We just know they are gone.”

The investigation began Monday morning when the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection received a report of a car ablaze near Buhach Road and Oakdale Road in the town of Winton.

The black 2020 Dodge Ram truck was registered to Amandeep Singh. When officers from the Merced Police Department arrived at Singh’s home, according to the Sheriff’s Office, they spoke with a family member who tried unsuccessfully to contact Singh.

The relative was able to reach another member of the family, who attempted to contact Singh, as well as Kaur and Jasdeep Singh. When none of them responded, the family called the Sheriff’s Office to report the three adults missing, along with Aroohi.

Warnke said the suspect had not made any ransom demands and did not try to make contact with law enforcement.

While the Sheriff’s Office described only one suspect, Warnke mentioned in the video that other people are possibly involved in the kidnapping.

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“We’ve got evidence to indicate that the individuals involved in this destroyed evidence in an attempt to cover up their tracks,” he said. “We‘ve got to bring this family home safely.”

The Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect Tuesday. The man, described as having a shaved head, was last seen wearing a hoodie and a blue surgical mask.